Division  .^.Sff^ 
Scction.j.tl.578 
N©, Xj.i  . 


Zbc  /iDessaGcs  of  tbe  Bible 

EDITED   BY 

Professor  Frank  K.  Sanders,  Ph.D.,  of  Yale  University,  and 
Professor  Charles  F.  Kent,  Ph.D.,  of  Brown  University. 

Messrs.  Charles  Scribner's  Sons  take  pleasure  in  announcing 
that  they  have  in  course  of  preparation  a  series  of  hand-books  which 
will  enable  every  reader  of  the  Bible  to  appreciate  and  to  obtain  a 
mastery  of  the  essential  facts  and  teachings  contained  in  it. 

This  series  is  not  a  substitute  for  the  Bible,  but  an  aid  to  the  rev- 
erent, appreciative,  and  enthusiastic  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  in 
fact  it  will  serve  the  purpose  of  an 

ORIGINAL  AND   POPULAR  COMMENTARY 
ON   THE  BIBLE. 

Technicalities  and  unsettled  questions  will  be,  as  far  as  possible, 
ignored.  Each  volume  will  be  prepared  by  a  leading  specialist  and 
will  contain  such  brief  introductions  as  serve  to  put  the  reader  into 
intelligent  relation  to  the  general  theme  treated.  The  editorial  re- 
arrangement of  the  order  of  the  Biblical  books  or  sections  will  repre- 
sent the  definite  results  of  sober  scholarship. 


I.  Ube  ObcssaqcB  of  tbe  £arUer  ipropbets. 

II.  Ube  /Messages  of  tbe  Xatcr  Propbeta. 

III.  Ube  fSicsBsigcs  of  tbe  law  ©(vera. 

IV.  Ube  flDessages  of  tbe  propbetical  an6  fJrieatl^  "bfaa 

toriana. 

V.  Ube  ItCiCBsagcs  of  tbe  ff»galm(st0. 

VI.  Ube  /Messages  of  tbe  Sages. 

VII.  Ube  /Wessages  of  tbe  Dramatfc  Pocte. 

VIII.  Ube  /iDessagcs  of  tbe  Bpocal^ptic  TKHrftere. 

IX.  Ube  /iDessages  of  3esus  accorfcing  to  tbe  S^noptteta. 

X.  Ube  iCessagcs  of  3cs\xs  accorMng  to  3obn. 

XI.  Ube  /IDeeaagcs  of  paul. 

XII.  Ube  aK99agc9  of  tbe  Bpostlea, 


Zbc  flDeaeagce  of  tbe  Bible 


BY 

Frank  Knight  Sanders,  Ph.D. 

Woolsey  Professor  of  Biblical  Literature  in  Yale  University 
AND 

Charles  Foster  Kent,  Ph.D. 

Professor  of  Biblical  History  and  Literature  in  Brown  University 


THE    MESSAGES    OF   THE    EARLIER 
PROPHETS 


Zbc  /iPeggageg  of  tbe  JBtble 

THE  MESSAGES  OF  THE 
EARLIER  PROPHETS 

'  ARRANGED  IN  THE  ORDER  OF 
TIME,  ANALYZED,  AND  FREELY 
RENDERED   IN   PARAPHRASE, 


BY 

V 

Frank  Knight  Sanders,  Ph.D. 

Woolsey  Professor  of  Biblical  Literature  in  Yale  University 
AND 

Charles  Foster  Kent,  Ph.D. 

Professor  of  Biblical  History  and  Literature  in  Brown  University 


THIRD  EDITION 


NEW  YORK 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 
1899 


Copyright,  1898, 

by 

JOHN  D.  WATTLES  &  CO. 


PREFACE 

The  statement  has  become  almost  proverbial  that  the 
Bible  is  the  "plain  man's  book,"  a  book  that  can  be 
understood  and  used  by  those  who  lay  no  claim  to 
scholarship.  True  as  this  may  be  of  the  Gospels  and 
the  historical  books  of  the  Bible,  its  application  is  not 
universal.  There  are  not  a  few  passages,  and  even 
whole  sections,  of  the  Bible,  which,  because  of  obscuri- 
ties of  style  and  arrangement,  convey  no  intelligible  idea 
to  many  readers. 

For  these  reasons,  no  part  of  the  Scriptures  suffers 
more  neglect  and  misapprehension  than  the  prophetic 
writings.  Their  choicest  thought  lies  deep,  and  rewards 
none  but  the  patient  and  careful  student.  One  who 
merely  reads  in  course  a  certain  number  of  chapters 
each  day  is  largely  cut  off  from  a  true  appreciation  of  the 
part  that  the  prophet  played  in  the  progress  of  revela- 
tion. Even  the  eager  student,  if  he  lack  the  clue  to  the 
prophetic  labyrinth,  is  forced  to  wander  aimlessly  and 
without  result  through  its  mazes. 

To  seek  to  introduce  to  this  fair  and  fruitful  domain 
of  revelation  the  multitudes  of  zealous  Bible  students 
who  lack  the  time  or  the  opportunity  for  gaining  entrance 


Preface 

for  themselves,  is  the  privilege  and  duty  of  the  Christian 
scholar.  His  task  is  not  a  difficult  one.  By  rearran- 
ging the  prophetic  writings  in  a  truly  chronological  order, 
and  by  indicating  their  interpretation  through  a  para- 
phrase, he  can  enable  the  general  student  to  grasp  their 
meaning  and  their  force.  He  can  at  the  same  time  clear 
up  many  incidental  obscurities,  can  indicate  the  definite 
results  of  active  and  sober  scholarship  in  the  past,  and 
can  arouse  a  real  enthusiasm  for  the  detailed  mastery  of 
these  sublime  products  of  inspired  religious  thought 

The  present  volume  is  offered  to  the  public  as  an 
attempt  to  meet  these  needs  of  the  Bible  reader.  The 
limitations  inherent  in  such  work  have  not  been  over- 
looked. It  is  clearly  impossible  to  reproduce  the  beauty 
and  vigor  of  the  language  of  the  prophets,  or  to  repre- 
sent the  wealth  of  poetic  and  oratorical  embellishment 
which  is  so  characteristic  a  feature  of  it.  A  paraphrase 
must  chiefly  aim  at  clearness.  Whoever  has  once 
caught  the  real  spirit  of  prophetic  thought  will  not  fail  to 
study  it  in  detail,  and  thus  will  acquire  for  himself  an 
appreciation  of  its  remarkable  quality. 

Brackets  are  used  td  indicate  passages  which  are  gene- 
rally regarded  as  later  additions  to  the  original  text. 

Frank  Knight  Sanders. 
Charles  Foster  Kent. 

September,  i8g8, 

vi 


CONTENTS 


INTRODUCTION 

PAGH 

The  Beginnings  of  Hebrew  Prophecy     3 

Characteristics  of  the  Prophetic  Writings  ....     ii 
How  TO  Make  Use  of  a  Paraphrase i6 

THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS 
I.  The  Prophet,  and  the  People  to  whom  he  Spoke    23 

II.  The  Opening  Address  at  Bethel  (i  :  2  to  2  :  16) 

1.  The  Text  1:2 29 

2.  Introduction.     The  Sins  and  Condemnation  of 
Israel's  Neighbors  (i  :  3  to  2  :  5) 29 

3.  The  Sins  and  Condemnation  of  Israel  (2  :  6-16)  .    .     32 

III.  No   Excuse  or   Pardon   for  the   Crimes   of 
Israel's  Leaders  (3,  4)       33 

IV.  Extracts  from  Sermons  of  Exhortation  and 
Warning  (5,  6) 

1.  Ritual  Useless  to  Deliver  from  the  Consequences  of 
Moral  Guilt  (5) 3^ 

2.  Israel's  Blind,  Selfish  Rulers  Leading  their  Nation 

to  Certain  Ruin  (6) 39 

V.  Symbolic  Visions  of  Impending  Judgment  (7 : 1-9 ; 

8  :  I  to  9  :  6) 40 

VI.  The  Immediate  and  Distant  Future  of  the 
Hebrew  Race  (9  :  7-15) 43 

vii 


Contents 

PAGB 

THE  MESSAGE  OF  HOSEA 

I.  The  Prophet,  and  the  Conditions  Confronting 
HIM 47 

II.  Earlier  Sermons  Delivered  between  750  and  740 
B.C.  (1-3) 

1.  The  Private  Experiences  of  the  Prophet  (i  :  2,  3a  ; 
3:1-3;  cf.  2  :  2-23) 50 

2.  Living  Sermons  (i  :  3(^-9) 52 

3.  The  Relationship  between  Jehovah   and  Israel  in 
Retrospect  and  Prospect  (2  :  2-23) 53 

4.  Predictions  respecting  Israel's  Immediate  and  Dis- 
tant Future  (3  :  4,  5  ;  i  :  10  to  2  :  i) 56 

III.  Later  Sermons  Delivered  between  740  and  734 
B.  C.  (4-14) 

1.  Jehovah's  Stern  Arraignment  and  Condemnation  of 
Israel  and  Israel's  Leaders  (4  :  i  to  5  :  14)    .    .   .    .      57 

2.  The  Fitful  Repentance  of  the  Israelites  Belied  by 
their  Hideous  Crimes  (5  :  15  to  7  :  16) 61 

3.  Israel's  Retribution  Well  Merited,  Overwhelming, 
and  Imminent  (8  :  i  to  10  :  15) 64 

4.  Jehovah's  Love  and  Hopes  for  Israel  (11  :  i-ii)  .    .      70 

5.  Israel's  Base  Return  for  Jehovah's  Loving  Care 

(ii  :  12  to  12  :  14) 72 

6.  The  Final  Review  of  Israel's  Mistakes  and  their 
Inevitable  Consequences  (13  :  1-16) 74 

7.  The  True  Prayer  of  Repentance  and  its  Answer 

(14  :  1-9) 75 


THE  EARLIER  PROPHETIC  ACTIVITY  OF 
ISAIAH 

I.  The  Young  Prophet  of  Jerusalem 79 

II.  Isaiah's  Call  TO  Service  (6) 16 

viii 


Contents 

FAGB 

III.  Prophecies  of  Judgment  upon  Judah  for  the 
Sins  of  the  Nation  (2-5  ;  9  :  8  to  10  :  4) 

1.  Sermons  about  Jerusalem  from  Jehovah's  Point  of 
View  (2-4) 88 

2.  Judah  the  Unfruitful  Vineyard  of  Jehovah  (5  :  1-24)     91 

3.  Israel's  Ripeness  for  Judgment  a  Warning  (9  :  8  to 

10  :  4  ;  5  :  25-30) 94 

iV.  Incidents  and  Sermons  Relating  to  the  War 
of  Syria  and  Israel  against  Judah  (7  :  i  to  9  : 7  ; 
17;  I) 

1.  The  Situation  (7  :  i,  2) 96 

2.  The  Speedy  Ruin  of  Syria  and  Israel  (17  :  i-ii)  .   .     97 

3.  Faith,  not  Fear,  the  True  Motive  for  Judah' s  King 

(7  :  3-17) 98 

4.  The  Certain   Consequences   of  the   Pro-Assyrian 
Policy  (7  :  18-25) 100 

5.  A  Vain  Appeal  from  King  to  People  (8  :  1-18)   .   .    loi 

6.  Jehovah's  Controversy  with  his  People — a  Retro- 
spect (i  :  2-31) 103 

7.  The  Bright  Future  for  those  who  Trust  in  God 

(8  :  19  to  9  :  7) 105 

V.  A  Prophecy  regarding  Phcenicia  (23  : 1-18) ....   107 

THE  MESSAGE  OF  MICAH 

I.  The  Peasant  Prophet  OF  Judah iii 

II.  Jehovah's  Certain  Judgment  against  Samaria 
and  Judah  (i  :  2-16) 115 

III.  The  Flagrant  Crimes  of  Judah's  Leaders 
(2  :  i-ii  ;  3  :  1-12) 

1.  The  Sins  of  the  Wealthy  and  Powerful  (2  :  i-ii)     .    118 

2.  The  Sins  of  the  Magistrates  and  Leaders  (3  :  1-12)     120 

IV.  Visions  of  the  Triumphant  Future  for  the 
Jewish  Race  Restored  erom  Exile  (4,  5)    ....   122 

ix 


Contents 

PAGB 

V.  Later  Sermons  Mourning  JuDAH's  Degeneracy 
(6  :  I  to  7  :  6) 

1.  The  Human  and  the  Divine  Conception  of  True 
Religion  (6  :  i-8) 126 

2.  Jehovah's  Complaint  against  Jerusalem  (6  :  9-16)   .    127 

3.  The  Lament  of  Righteous  Jerusalem  (7  :  1-6)  .    .   .    128 

VL  The  Psalm  of  Penitent  Israel  (7  :  7-20) 129 

THE  LATER  PROPHECIES  OF  ISAIAH 

L  The  Task  of  the  Prophet  during  the  Years 

722-700  B.C 133 

II.  Isaiah's  Activity  during  Sargon's  Reign,  722-705 

1.  The  Earlier  Events  of  Hezekiah's  Reign 137 

2.  Edom's  Anxiety  and  the  Judgment  upon  Arabia 

(21  :  H-17) 141 

3.  The  Symbolic  Prediction  of  the  Captivity  of  Egypt 
and  Ethiopia  (20  :  1-6)     142 

4.  Moab's  Past  Calamity  Soon  to  be  Repeated    (15  : 

I  to  16  :  14) 142 

5.  The  Judgment  upon  Egypt  and  its  Outcome  (19  : 1-25)  144 

III.  Isaiah's  Activity  attheTime  of  Sennacherib's 
Invasion  of  Palestine. 

1.  The  Death  of  Sargon  and  Related  Events  ....    145 

2.  The   Plea  against  the   Egyptian  Alliance   (28-32  ; 

18  ;  22  :  15-25) 147-156 

(i)  A  Warning  to  the  Magnates  of  Jerusalem  {28  :  1-29) 

(2)  Jehovah's  Purpose  for  Ariel,  his  Altar-hearth  (29  :  1-24) 

(3)  The  Utter  Folly  of  Seeking  an  Alliance  with  Egypt 
(30  :  1-33) 

(4)  Egypt's  Help  in  Contrast  to  that  of  Jehovah  (31  : 
1  to  32  :  8) 

(5)  A  Warning    to    the    Careless    Ladies    of   Jerusalem 
(32  :  9-20) 

X 


Contents 

PAGE 

(6)  A  Message  to  the  Ethiopian  Ambassadors — Jehovah 
can  Protect  his  People  (i8  :  1-7) 

(7)  The  Downfall  of  Shebna,  the  Vizier  (22  :  15-25) 

3.  Assurances  that  Jehovah  will  Defend  his   People 
(10-12  ;  14  :  24-27  ;  17  :  12-14) 156-163 

(i)  The  Certain  Overthrow  of  Assyria,  Jehovah's  Tool 
(10 :  5-34) 

(2)  The  Messianic  Age  to  Follow  Assyria's  Downfall 
(II :  1-16) 

(3)  Two  Hymns  of  Thanksgiving  (12  :  1-6) 

(4)  Two  Fragments  Concerning  Assyria's  Destruction 
(14:24-27;  17:  12-14) 

4.  The  Crisis  at  Jerusalem  (22  :  1-14  ;  33  ;  36  ;  37)   .  163-169 

(i)  Jerusalem's  Indifference  to  God  Invites  Further 
Judgment  (22 :  1-14) 

(2)  Sennacherib's  First  Demand — Isaiah's  Promise  (36 : 
I  to  37  :  8) 

(3)  Jerusalem's  Security  against  the  Treacherous  Foe 
(33  :  1-24) 

(4)  Sennacherib's  Second  Demand,  Hezekiah's  Prayer, 
and  Isaiah's  Confident  Prediction  of  Jerusalem's  Se- 
curity (37  :  9-35) 

(5)  The  Final  Catastrophe  (37  :  36-38) 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NAHUM 

I,  The  Prophet  of  Nineveh's  Fall 173 

11.  Jehovah's  Nature  a  Pledge  of  his  Vengeance 
UPON  THE  Wicked  (i  :  1-15  12:2) 177 

III,  The  Capture  AND  Plunder  of  the  Lion's  Lair 

(2  :  I,  3-13) 179 

IV.  The  Certainty  of  Nineveh's  Fate  (3  : 1-19)  .  .   181 

THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZEPHANIAH 

I.  The  Prophet  and  his  Surroundings 187 

xi 


Contents 

PAGB 

II.  Sermons  concerning  the  Coming  Judgment 
(i :  2  to  3  :  13) 

1.  The  Day  of  Jehovah  a  Peculiarly  Distressful  Day 

for  Judah  (i  :  2  to  2  :  3) 190 

2.  The  Day  of  Jehovah  a  Day  of  Judgment  against 
Nations  (2  :  4-15) 193 

3.  The  Day  of  Jehovah  a  Means  of  Redemption  for 
Jerusalem  (3  :  1-13) 195 

III.  The  Song  of  Zion  Redeemed  (3  :  14-20) 196 

JEREMIAH'S  PROPHETIC  ACTIVITY  DURING 
THE  REIGN  OF  JOSIAH 

I.  Jeremiah,  the  Young  Reformer 201 

II.  Jeremiah's  Call  and  Commission  (i) 205 

III.  Reform  Sermons  (2  to  6  ;  ii  :  1-8) 

1.  The  Story  of  Judah,  the   Unrepentant   Prodigal 

(2  :  I  to  3  :  5) 207 

2.  Promises  to  Israel  and  Judah,  if  They  Will  Repent 

(3  :  6  to  4  :  2) 2IO 

3.  The  Judgment  Approaching  from  the  North  (4  :  3 

to  6  :  30) 211 

4.  Enforcing  the   Nation's  Covenant  with   Jehovah 

(II  :  1-8) 215 

THE  MESSAGE  OF  HABAKKUK 

I.  The  Date  of  the  Prophecy 219 

II.  A  Dialogue  between  the  Prophet  and  Jehovah. 
Theme:  "How  Long  Shall  the  Wicked  be  Al- 
lowed TO  Triumph  over  the  Righteous?"  (1:1 
to  2  : 4) 221 

III.  Reasons  why  the  Downfall  of  the  Chaldeans 

is  Assured  (2  : 5-20) 223 

IV.  The  Prayer  of  Faith— A  Lyric  Ode  (3)    ....  224 

xii 


Contents 

PAGB 

JEREMIAH'S    ACTIVITY    DURING    THE    REIGN 
OF  JEHOIAKIM 

I.  The  Changed  Situation 229 

II.  The  Reaction  against  the  Prophetic  Teaching 
(7  :  I  to  8  :  3  ;  II  :  9  to  12  :  6  ;  26  :  7-24) 

1.  Judah's  Return  to  the  Old  Heathenism  (ii  :  9-17)    234 

2.  The    Plot    against    Jeremiah    at    Anathoth    (11  : 

18  to  12  :  6) 235 

3.  A    Temple    Discourse — Condemnation    of  Judah 

(7  :  I  to  8  :  3)      236 

4.  The  Prophet's  Impeachment  and  Trial  (26  :  7-24)  .    239 

III.  Messages  of  Denunciation  and  Warning  (8  : 4 
to  9  :  22  ;  ID  :  17-25) 

1.  Indifference    in    the    Face    of  Certain  Judgment 

(8  :  4  to  9  :  22) 241 

2.  The   Proper  Attitude  in  the   Face  of  the  Great 
Danger  (10  :  17-25) 243 

IV.  The  Approach  of  the  Chaldeans  under  Nebu- 
chadrezzar (46  to  49  ;  25) 

1.  Defeat  of   the  Egyptians    by  Nebuchadrezzar    at 
Carchemish,  in  605  B.C.  (46  :  2-12)      243 

2.  The  Divine  Judgment  upon  the  Nations  Executed 

by  Nebuchadrezzar  (25  ;  cf.  47-49) 244 

V.  The  First  and  Second  Collections  of  Jere- 
miah's Prophecies  (36;  45) 

1.  Origin  and  Fate  of  the  First  Edition  (36  :  1-26  ;  45)    245 

2.  The  Second  and  Larger  Edition  (36  :  27-32)  ....    248 

VI.  Reiterated  Messages  of  Warning  and  Exhor- 
tation (14  :  I  to  17  :  13) 

1.  Dialogue  between  the  Prophet  and  Jehovah  (14  ;  15)    249 

2.  Extracts  from  Prophecies  Announcing  Impending 
Judgment  (16 :  i  to  17  :  13) 253 

xiii 


Contents 

PAGB 

VII.  Illustrated  Sermons  (13  : 1-14  ;  18  to  ao ;  35) 

1.  The  Lesson  from  the  Potter  (18) 256 

2.  Symbolic  Declarations  of  Coming  Ruin  (13  : 1-14)  .    257 

3.  The  Lesson  of  the  Broken  Earthen  Bottle  (19)    .    .    258 

4.  Humiliation    and    Despondency  of   the  Prophet 
(20) 259 

5.  The  Lesson  Drawn  from  theFidelity  of  the  Rechabites 

(35) 261 

JEREMIAH'S  ACTIVITY  DURING  THE  REIGN 
OF  ZEDEKIAH 

I.  The  Downfall  of  Judah  and  the  Closing  Years 
OF  Jeremiah 265 

II.  Sermons  Connected  with  the  First  Captivity 
(12  :  7-17  ;  13  :  15-27  ;  24  ;  29) 

1.  Exhortations  to  Repent  before  it  is  forever  too  Late 

(13  :  15-27) 271 

2.  Dirge  over  Fallen  Judah  (12  :  7-13) 272 

3.  Threats  and  Promises  to  the  Heathen  (12  :  14-17)  .  273 

4.  Character  and  Future  of  the  Jews  in  Judah  and  in 
Babylon  (24) 273 

5.  A  Letter  to  the  Jewish  Exiles  in  Babylon  (29)  ...   274 

III.  Dispelling  False  Hopes  of  Speedy  Deliverance 
FROM  Babylon's  Rule  (27 ;  28) 

1.  The  Folly  of  Rebellion  (27  :  1-22) 276 

2.  Contest  between  Jeremiah  and  Hananiah  (28)    .    .    278 

IV.  Condemnation  of  Judah's  False  Leaders  (23; 
33  :  14-26) 

1.  The  Base  Rulers  of  the  Present,  and  the  Promised 
Messianic  King  of  the  Future  (23  :  1-8  ;  cf.  33  :  14-26)  279 

2.  False  Prophets  and  False  Prophecies  (23  :  9-40)  .    .    280 

xiv 


Contents 

PAGB 

V.  Sermons  AND  Events  Connected  with  the  Final 
Siege  of  Jerusalem  (21  :  i-io  ;  34  ;  37  to  39) 

1.  Jeremiah's    Message    of   Warning    to    Zedekiah 

(21  :  i-io) 283 

2.  A  Second  Message  of  Warning  (34  :  1-7) 284 

3.  Condemnation  of  the  Perfidy  Shown  by  the  Judeans 

in  the  Treatment  of  their  Slaves  (34  :  8-22)    ....    284 

4.  Faithful  Prophesying  in  the  Face  of  Persecution 
and  Death  (37  ;  38  ;  39  :  15-18) 285 

VI.  Messages  of  Consolation  (30  :  i  to  33  :  13) 

1.  An  Earnest  of  Ultimate  Restoration  (32) 289 

2.  The    Bright    Future    beyond    the    Dark    Present 

(33  ••  1-13) 291 

3.  Glories   of   the   Restoration  Contrasted  with  the 
Present  Humiliation  (30  :  i  to  31  :  30) 292 

4.  The    New    Covenant    between  Jehovah  and  his 
People  (31  :  31-40) 296 

Appendix 297 

Index  of  Biblical  Passages 301 


XV 


INTRODUCTION 


INTRODUCTION 


THE   BEGINNINGS    OF    HEBREW    PROPHECY 

With  Amos  and  Hosea,  in  the  middle  of  the  eighth 
century  before  Christ,  began  that  notable  succession  of 
religious  thinkers  whose  utterances  have  been  given  per- 
manent form  in  the  prophetic  books  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. As  we  know  from  their  writings,  they  were  men 
of  remarkable  breadth,  insight,  and  power.  While  their 
greatest  service  to  the  world  of  their  day,  or  of  ours, 
was  in  the  sphere  of  constructive  religious  thought,  they 
were  interested  in  the  practical  problems  of  human  life, 
and  touched  it  at  many  points.  Their  conviction  that 
righteousness  and  sincerity  were  the  fundamental  ele- 
ments of  true  life  made  them  unsparing  critics  of  social 
wrongs,  idolatry,  formalism,  and  worldliness,  preachers 
of  faith  in  God  and  love  to  man,  and  statesmanlike 
advisers  on  questions  of  public  policy.  Their  chief  dis- 
tinction was  their  modest  boldness.  They  spoke  in  the 
name  of  God,  and  claimed  to  give  expression  to  his  will. 
They  looked  at  life  from  the  standpoint  of  the  Divine, 
approving  or  denouncing  its  varied  phases  according  to 
their  harmony  with  the  ideal  revealed  to  them. 
3 


Introduction  Messages  of  the 

These  men  were  called  by  their  contemporaries 
•  ♦  prophets, ' '  or  occasionally  • '  seers. ' '  Another  favorite 
term  was  ' '  men  of  God. "  "  Prophet, ' '  the  most  fre- 
quently recurring  term,  literally  meant  ' '  the  speaker ' ' 
(Exod.  7:1),  and  suggested  that  the  one  to  whom  it  was 
applied  was  commissioned  to  proclaim  the  will  of  God. 
The  prophets  themselves  claimed  that  they  spoke  with 
the  sanction  and  support  of  Jehovah.  In  the  conscious- 
ness of  this  support  they  dared  "to  declare  unto  Jacob 
his  transgression,  and  to  Israel  his  sin." 

The  number  of  prophets  whom  we  know  through  their 
published  utterances  is  strangely  small.  Between  the 
middle  of  the  eighth  century  and  the  Babylonian  exile 
(586  B.C.)  only  eight  or  nine  can  be  enumerated.  Even 
these  appeared  in  two  groups  separated  by  nearly  a  cen- 
tury of  silence.  The  student  of  to-day  is  therefore 
tempted  to  consider  the  prophet  an  isolated  phenome- 
non, called  into  existence  by  God  to  serve  as  his 
mouthpiece  at  a  time  of  especial  need,  when  his  people 
required  reassurance,  guidance,  comfort,  or  criticism. 

To  the  men  of  that  era,  however,  the  prophet  was  a 
familiar  sight.  Those  to  whom  the  title  was  freely  given 
were  numbered  by  scores  and  hundreds.  They  formed 
an  important  class  in  Hebrew  society,  to  which  the  peo- 
ple at  large  paid  constant  deference.  So  marked  was 
this  respect  that  many  adopted  prophecy  as  a  profession 
4 


Earlier  Prophets  Introduction 

who  were  morally  and  spiritually  incapable  of  appre- 
hending and  of  interpreting  the  will  of  God,  and  were 
unwilling  to  meet  the  social  consequences  of  proclaiming 
his  austere  commands.  For  such  as  these  the  real 
prophets  had  a  profound  contempt ;  with  them  they  held 
many  a  bitter  dispute  ;  from  them  they  not  infrequently 
met  with  the  most  exasperating  opposition,  because  the 
people  of  Israel,  not  unlike  other  peoples,  often  followed 
the  advice  of  the  prophets  who  echoed  the  popular  desire. 
The  honor  thus  wrongly  bestowed  is  a  proof,  however, 
that  the  prophetic  order  was  recognized  as  a  permanent 
national  institution.  For  centuries  before  the  days  of 
Amos,  prophets  had  been  ardent  champions  of  popular 
rights,  zealous  advocates  of  devotion  to  God,  and  cham- 
pions of  patriotism  and  other  true  ideals.  Even  Amos 
and  Hosea  were  merely  unusual  types  of  their  class,  with 
ideas  that  were  startling.  They  appealed  to  the  popular 
conscience  ;  they  were  not  revolutionists,  but  reformers. 
Their  right  to  speak  in  God' s  name  was  not  seriously 
questioned,  for  this  was  in  the  line  of  a  prophet' s  duty. 

We  can  trace  the  history  of  the  prophetic  order  as  an 
organization  back  to  the  times  of  Samuel.  There  are  in- 
dications that,  before  his  day,  there  were  individuals  here 
and  there  who  were  regarded  as  having  the  power  to 
determine  the  will  of  God.  They  were  called  "  seers  " 
(i  Sam.  9  :  9),  and  held  in  high  respect  by  the  people, 
5 


Introduction  Messages  of  the 

but  their  isolation  prevented  their  wider  effectiveness. 
Samuel  was  a  sort  of  link  between  the  old  and  the  new. 
He  was  himself  a  "seer,"  but  his  practical  mind 
created  a  new  sphere  of  influence.  Apparently  enlist- 
ing those  who  were  ready  to  give  themselves  to  loyal 
service  for  God,  he  organized  a  permanent  order  of  reli- 
gious patriots,  whose  first  duty  was  to  kindle  a  sense  of 
loyalty  among  the  people.  These  men  may  well  be  de- 
scribed as  enthusiasts,  and  they  used  methods  of  arous- 
ing themselves  to  religious  fervor  that  to-day  seem  crude 
and  even  objectionable.  Yet  it  was  a  decided  advance 
in  religious  history  when  such  enthusiasts  submitted  to 
leadership.  Their  devotion  and  energy  gradually  found 
expression  in  worthier  ways. 

We  cannot  definitely  trace  the  history  of  the  order 
between  the  days  of  Samuel  and  the  time  of  Elijah, 
although  we  know  that  it  had  an  unbroken  record.  The 
biblical  historians  of  these  centuries  direct  our  attention 
to  a  few  of  Samuel' s  successors,  such  as  Gad,  Nathan, 
Ahijah,  and  Jehu.  These  leaders  were,  no  doubt,  the 
ones  who  dignified  and  developed  the  function  of  the 
prophet  as  an  active  member  of  society.  The  patriotism 
of  these  men  led  them  to  become  the  annalists  and  his- 
torians of  the  nation  ;  their  farsightedness  and  moral 
earnestness  made  them  the  valued  advisers  of  kings  and 
people  ;  their  honesty  led  them  to  expose  that  which  was 
6 


Earlier  Prophets  Introduction 

wrong  or  unworthy  ;  their  constant  thought  of  God  in  his 
relations  to  mankind  developed  a  simple  but  profound 
philosophy  of  history,  to  illustrate  which  they  studied 
their  past  experiences  as  a  nation.  Since  they  rep- 
resented the  Almighty  they  were  not  afraid  to  defy  any 
human  power.  Repeatedly  they  rebuked  the  king  him- 
self for  forgetting  his  duty  or  his  right. 

The  growing  influence  of  the  order  became  in  itself  a 
danger,  for  it  attracted  many  recruits  who  were  of  little 
value.  It  is  probable  that  voluntary-  association  as  well 
as  such  a  selection  by  a  recognized  prophet  as  that  of 
Elisha  by  Elijah,  increased  the  membership  of  the  pro- 
phetic bands.  These  bands  formed  little  communities, 
sometimes  living  together,  having  many  interests  in 
common.  Ahab  had  no  difficulty  in  summoning  before 
him  four  hundred  at  one  time  (i  Kings  22).  Their  sup- 
port came,  in  part,  from  the  gifts  of  those  who  sought 
their  advice.  Inevitably  there  were  members  of  the 
order  whose  motives  were  mercenary.  Micah's  sarcastic 
reference  (Micah  3  :  5)  to  the  prophets,  who  "bite  with 
their  teeth  and  cry.  Peace  ;  and  whoso  putteth  not  into 
their  mouths,  they  even  sanctify  war  against  him,"  is 
paralleled  by  the  evident  lack  of  confidence  of  Jehosha- 
phat  in  the  four  hundred  prophets  who  unhesitatingly 
predicted  the  victory  which  Ahab  desired  (i  Kings 
22  :  7). 

7 


Introduction  *  Messages  of  the 

In  the  days  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel  a  test  was  applied  to 
the  prophetic  organization  which  at  once  made  promi- 
nent a  true  representative  of  its  noblest  aims,  and  em- 
phasized the  difference  between  the  spurious  prophet, 
who  was  merely  a  member  of  the  order,  and  the  real 
prophet  to  whom  Jehovah  revealed  himself.  The  zeal 
of  Queen  Jezebel  for  her  ancestral  faith  caused  her  to 
determine  to  introduce  the  worship  of  Baal  throughout 
all  Israel,  as  well  as  in  Samaria,  the  capital,  where  a 
magnificent  temple  had  been  erected  for  her  use.  To 
the  king  and  to  many  of  the  people  this  mattered  little. 
To  the  true  prophets  it  meant  treason  to  Jehovah,  the 
God  of  Israel.  In  order  to  overawe  all  opposition,  Jezebel 
began  a  persistent  persecution  of  the  prophets  and  their 
sympathizers,  which  seemed  to  be  successful  (i  Kings 
19  :  14).  Those  who  remained  loyal  to  Jehovah  were 
forced  to  hide  or  keep  their  opinions  a  secret.  This 
supreme  crisis  produced  the  man  to  meet  it  The 
prophet  Elijah,  after  announcing  by  the  prediction  of  the 
drought  and  famine  that  Jehovah  was  displeased  with 
his  people,  dared  to  challenge  the  representatives  of 
Baalism  to  a  test,  and  to  demand  from  the  people  absolute 
loyalty  to  Jehovah.  He  was  only  in  part  successful ;  but 
his  policy  of  determined  resistance  to  Baalism,  and  all 
that  it  fostered,  was  continued  by  his  disciple  and  ser- 
vant, the  prophet  Elisha,  to  whose  zeal  and  influence  was 
8 


Earlier  Prophets  Introduction 

due  the  ultimate  expulsion  of  the  hated  worship  and  its 
votaries  from  Israel.  Through  their  influence  the  nation 
fully  acknowledged  Jehovah  as  its  God.  With  that 
declaration  of  loyalty  there  was  renewed  a  consciousness 
that  he  had  chosen  them  to  be  his  peculiar  people,  with 
a  unique  destiny  which  they  could  not  define,  but  in 
which  they  firmly  believed. 

The  next  half-century  seemed  to  justify  this  spirit  of 
faithfulness.  It  was  a  time  of  prosperity  and  peace  in 
both  kingdoms  under  able  rulers.  Each  nation  grew 
strong,  secure,  and  wealthy.  The  ensuing  commercial 
development  revolutionized  social  conditions.  The 
ruling  classes  used  their  power  unscrupulously  to  acquire 
riches.  Greed,  violence,  injustice,  fraud,  became  so 
common  that  they  excited  little  remark.  Even  prophets 
and  priests  were  found  who  shared  in  this  carnival  of 
selfish  greed.  In  the  face  of  it  all  was  a  complacency 
which  tried  the  souls  of  the  truly  upright  The  people 
were  proud  of  their  history,  scrupulous  about  their  re- 
ligious duties,  and  confident  that  Jehovah  their  God 
was  loading  them  with  blessings,  and  would  bestow  yet 
greater  ones.  Their  theory  of  religion  made  it  a  system 
of  observances,  the  hearty  fulfilment  of  which  would 
ensure  the  protection  and  favor  of  God.  That  he  would 
measure  the  quality  as  well  as  the  quantity  of  such  wor- 
ship they  hardly  seemed  to  realize. 
9 


Introduction  Messages  of  the 

Under  these  conditions,  the  advance  of  the  conquering 
nation  of  Assyria  produced  another  momentous  crisis  in 
Israel's  religious  life.  This  nation  seemed  invincible, 
its  intentions  clear.  Would  Jehovah  protect  his  people  ? 
If  he  failed  to  do  so,  was  it  not  because  the  gods  of  the 
invader  were  stronger  ?  Was  it  worth  while  to  be  loyal 
to  him  ?  Upon  a  true  answer  hung  the  faith  of  the 
Hebrews.  None  but  a  prophet  could  give  it.  At  this 
juncture,  Amos,  Hosea,  and  Isaiah  saved  Israel's  faith 
by  broadening  it.  They  showed  that  the  nation  was 
guilty  in  the  sight  of  God,  that  he  was  going  to  make 
use  of  the  Assyrian  world-power  as  an  instrument  of 
scourging,  but  that  his  ultimate  intention  was  to  purify 
the  nation,  and  use  it  for  his  gracious  purpose. 

By  this  clear-cut  assertion  of  the  supremacy  of  the 
moral  element  in  the  character  of  God  the  prophets 
revolutionized  religious  thinking.  They  had  to  restate  the 
true  conception  of  Jehovah,  his  purpose  and  methods,  and 
to  reinterpret  human  experiences  in  their  light.  An  era 
of  constructive  thought  ensued  which  is  hardly  to  be  sur- 
passed in  the  world's  history.  To  explain  it  as  the  mere 
achievement  of  logical  and  earnest  minds  is  impossible. 
The  only  satisfactory  explanation  is  that  God  was  leading 
and  teaching  mankind  through  his  chosen  messengers. 


lo 


Earlier  Prophets  Introduction 


CHARACTERISTICS    OF   THE    PROPHETIC   WRITINGS 

One  of  the  first  facts  impressed  upon  the  student  of 
prophetic  literature  is  that  the  prophetic  books  in  the 
Bible  are  arranged  on  quite  another  principle  than  that 
of  historical  order.  Whether  the  ruling  motive  was  that 
of  size  or  relative  excellence  is  not  clear.  At  all  events, 
the  prophet  Isaiah  was  the  third  prophet  in  order,  not 
the  first  ;  Jeremiah  was  the  seventh,  not  the  second, 
while  Amos  was  probably  the  first  to  utter  a  public  ser- 
mon. Since  the  prophetic  writings  can  best  be  under- 
stood and  appreciated  in  connection  with  the  events  to 
which  they  allude,  and  out  of  which  they  sprang,  it  is 
necessary  for  the  student  of  biblical  history  and  litera- 
ture to  rearrange  them  in  the  order  of  time.  It  will  be 
noticed,  also,  that  the  earlier  prophetic  books  belong  in 
two  distinct  groups,  three-fourths  of  a  century  apart,  — the 
first  group  of  four,  Amos,  Hosea,  Isaiah,  and  Micah, 
belonging  to  the  latter  half  of  the  eighth  century  ;  the 
second  group  of  four,  Zephaniah,  Jeremiah,  Nahum, 
and  Habakkuk,  covering  the  half-century  after  627  B.  C. 

No  less  obvious  is  the  fact  that  these  prophetic  books 
contain  a  number  of  separate  utterances  arranged  in  an 
order  which  is  frequently  not  chronological.  Some  in- 
terpreters think  that  the  Book  of  Amos  contains  not  less 
II 


Introduction  Messages  of  the 

than  ten  or  eleven  distinct  sermons,  and  the  Book  of 
Micah  almost  as  many.  So  far  as  it  is  possible  to  de- 
termine the  principle  in  accordance  with  which  these 
passages  are  arranged  in  the  Old  Testament,  it  seems  to 
be  topical.  The  prophets  of  the  sixth  century,  such  as 
Jeremiah  or  Ezekiel,  were  in  the  habit  of  dating  their 
oracles,  so  that  it  is  comparatively  easy  to  arrange  them 
in  the  order  of  utterance.  The  earlier  prophets  almost 
never  indicated  the  date  of  a  sermon,  so  that  the  deter- 
mination of  this  fact  is  less  certain.  Such  a  rearrange- 
ment of  prophetic  addresses  into  their  probable  historical 
order  is  essential  before  the  student  of  prophecy  can 
enter  completely  into  the  heart  of  his  subject.  Without 
it  no  one  can  intelligently  grasp  the  changing  phases  of 
Isaiah' s  preaching  during  the  forty  years  or  more  of  his 
active  life,  nor  the  increasing  hopelessness  of  the  utter- 
ances of  Jeremiah.  Such  a  rearrangement  is  adopted  in 
this  volume,  in  order  that  a  clear  conception  of  the  de- 
velopment of  prophecy  may  be  gained. 

When  the  student  calls  to  mind  the  long  period  of 
years  during  which  we  know  that  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  and 
Micah  were  active,  and  notes  the  compact  report  of  the 
prophetic  addresses  of  all  those  years,  he  is  forced  to 
conclude  that  the  writings  to  which  we  have  access  are 
but  a  representative  digest  of  the  actual  utterances.  The 
words  were  not  probably  taken  down  on  the  spot  as 


Earlier  Prophets  Introduction 

spoken,  but  reproduced  from  memory  either  by  the 
prophet  himself  or  by  a  faithful  disciple.  The  writing  is 
an  accurate  reproduction  of  the  force  and  tenor  of  the 
original  saying,  but  not  necessarily  a  word-for-word 
repetition  of  it.  What  Jeremiah  did,  as  related  in  the 
thirty-sixth  chapter  of  the  Book  of  Jeremiah,  throws 
much  light  upon  this  question.  He  was  told  to  write 
down  upon  a  roll  "all  the  words  that  I  have  spoken 
unto  thee  against  Israel,  and  against  Judah,  and  against 
all  the  nations  from  the  day  I  spake  unto  thee,  from  the 
days  of  Josiah,  even  unto  this  day ; ' '  that  is,  for  twenty- 
three  years.  In  the  present  Book  of  Jeremiah  that  roll 
would  be  represented  by  about  a  dozen  chapters  which 
in  turn  record  the  sermons  of  twice  as  many  years. 
Manifestly,  one  discourse  will  often  sum  up  the  distinc- 
tive ideas  of  a  whole  season  of  active  preaching. 

Closely  allied  to  the  preceding  characteristic  of  the 
prophetic  writings  is  another.  Many  a  paragraph  in  a 
prophetic  book  is  a  fragment  of  an  independent  dis- 
course. Isaiah  14  :  24-27,  or  14  :  29-32,  or  the  three 
sections  of  chapter  21,  are  obvious  examples  of  such 
fragments.  Such  passages  as  Micah  2  :  12,  13,  or 
Hosea  i  :  10  to  2  :  i,  wh'ch  are  evidently  out  of  their 
original  connection,  are  most  readily  explained  in  this 
way.  Much  of  the  disjointedness  of  the  Book  of  Hosea 
may  be  due  to  the  fragmentary  character  of  the  utter- 
13 


Introduction  Messages  of  the 

ances  there  collected.  The  curious  alternation  of 
threats  and  promises  in  Micah  4  and  5  is  explained  by 
Nowack  as  the  combination,  by  an  editor,  of  extracts  from 
two  entirely  different  discourses,  uttered  at  separated 
periods.  To  adopt  all  these  views  is  far  from  necessary, 
but  the  student  of  prophetic  literature  must  expect  the 
records  of  the  utterances  of  the  prophets  to  be  more  or 
less  fragmentary  as  w^ll  as  condensed. 

From  a  literary  standpoint  the  student  of  prophecy  is 
impressed  by  the  artistic  finish  given  to  many  an  oracle. 
The  prophet  was  often  both  poet  and  orator.  He  was 
anxious  to  persuade,  and  utilized  any  means  which 
would  contribute  to  his  purpose.  Every  rhetorical  arti- 
fice was  used  by  him.  The  overstatement,  "there  is 
no  truth  nor  mercy  nor  knowledge  of  God  in  the  land 
(Rosea  4:1);  the  threat  intensified  by  indefiniteness, 
"Therefore  thus  will  I  do  unto  thee,  O  Israel,  and 
because  I  will  do  this  unto  thee,  prepare  to  meet  thy 
God,  O  Israel ' '  (Amos  4 :  12);  the  play  upon  words, 
"the  houses  of  Achzib  shall  be  an  achzah  unto  the 
kings  of  Israel"  (Micah  i  :  14)  ;  the  metaphor,  the 
epithet,  the  rhapsody,  the  apostrophe,  and  many  other 
legitimate  devices  for  enlivening  and  emphasizing 
speech,  all  illustrate  the  prophet's  remarkable  skill  in 
the  presentation  of  truth. 

Still  another  prominent  element  in  prophecy  is  its 


Earlier  Prophets  Introduction 

practical  character.  The  prophet  was  a  preacher  to  his 
own  generation.  Nearly  every  word  he  uttered  had  a 
practical  relation  to  the  life  of  his  day.  If  he  referred  to 
the  distant  future,  it  was  usually  a  word  of  hope  to  a 
people  who  were  facing  disappointment  or  disaster  ;  if 
he  portrayed  the  universal  acceptance  of  Jehovah  as 
God,  it  was  in  order  to  confirm  his  declaration  that 
Jehovah  was  the  ruler,  not  of  Israel  alone,  but  of  the 
world.  His  greatest  predictions  were  expressed  in 
forms  well  adapted  to  the  thought  of  his  time.  The 
triumph  of  God' s  kingdom,  for  instance,  is  pictured  as  a 
rallying  of  worshipers  from  all  quarters  of  the  earth  to 
Jerusalem,  the  holy  city.  The  Messianic  blessedness  is 
described  as  an  em  of  plenty  and  peace.  The  student 
of  the  Old  Testament  does  not  need  to  literalize  such 
declarations  any  more  than  the  saying  of  our  Lord  about 
the  heavenly  banquet  with  the  patriarchs  (Matt  8  :  1 1). 
It  is  enough  to  add  that  he  who  interprets  the 
prophetic  writings  must  expect  to  apply  to  them  all  the 
usual  literary  tests  before  he  can  obtain  a  true  apprecia- 
tion of  their  beauty  of  form  and  strength  of  thought. 


IS 


Introduction  Messages  of  the 


HOW   TO    MAKE    USE   OF   A    PARAPHRASE 

The  following  pages  contain  an  analysis  and  para- 
phrase of  the  prophetic  writings  in  the  order  of  their 
original  appearance.  A  paraphrase  is  a  restatement  of 
a  passage  in  literature  which  gives  the  exact  sense  of  the 
original  in  other  words,  for  the  sake  of  making  it  clearly 
understood.  To  one  who  desires  to  grasp  with  clear- 
ness the  thought  of  these  books  of  the  Bible,  and  lacks 
the  time  or  training  or  tools  for  making  a  painstaking 
study  of  each,  a  paraphrase  may  be  invaluable.  The 
prophetic  books  are  obscure  for  a  variety  of  reasons. 
The  reader  who  takes  up  the  Bible  and  turns  to  the 
Book  of  Isaiah  cannot  easily  put  himself  into  the  situa- 
tion which  occasioned  the  message  he  may  begin  to 
read.  In  the  absence  of  this  historical  context,  how- 
ever, the  passage  will  probably  fail  to  awaken  his  inter- 
est, or  to  suggest  a  distinctive  and  helpful  idea.  It  is 
more  than  possible  that  the  thought  suggested  to  the 
reader's  mind  will  be  one  entirely  foreign  to  the  mind 
of  the  prophet  when  he  spoke.  The  terse  and  technical 
language  of  the  prophet  is  another  cause  for  obscurity. 
The  Old  Testament  makes  free  use  of  a  vocabulary 
which  requires  explanation  to  one  not  accustomed  to  it. 
*'I  raised  up  of  your  sons  for  prophets,  and  of  your 
x6 


Earlier  Prophets  Introduction 

young  men  for  Nazirites  ;  .  .  .  but  ye  gave  the  Nazirites 
wine  to  drink,  and  commanded  the  prophets,  saying, 
'Prophesy  not  ;'  "  "The  virgin  daughter  of  Zion  hath 
despised  thee  and  laughed  thee  to  scorn  ;  the  daugh- 
ter of  Jerusalem  hath  shaken  her  head  at  thee  ;"  "The 
remnant  that  is  escaped  of  the  house  of  Judah  shall 
again  take  root  downward  and  bear  fruit  upward." 
Such  passages  as  these  convey  but  a  faint  impression  to 
the  average  reader.  A  third  source  of  obscurity  is  the 
necessity  for  the  rearrangement  of  prophetic  passages 
before  a  student  can  perceive  the  true  connection  and 
sequence  of  ideas.  Without  this  perception  no  compre- 
hension of  the  constructive  thought  of  the  prophet  is 
attainable. 

For  all  these  reasons  a  paraphrase  may  be  of  supreme 
service  as  an  introduction  to  the  study  of  prophecy.  It 
prepares  the  way  by  placing  each  prophetic  utterance  in 
its  proper  setting,  and  by  indicating  its  exact  meaning. 
It  does  not  become  a  substitute  for  the  Bible,  but  may 
be  used  to  make  the  Bible  more  intelligible.  The  fol- 
lowing suggestions  may  promote  its  use. 

The  rapid  reading  of  a  paraphrase  of  a  prophecy  will 
afford  a  correct  and  forcible  impression  of  the  prophet' s 
thought.  It  emphasizes  his  theme,  and  outlines  his 
treatment  of  it,  and  thus  ensures  an  intelligent  reading 
of  the  passage  in  the  Bible. 
17 


Introduction  Messages  of  the 

The  paraphrase  can  then  be  carefully  compared  with 
the  original  prophecy,  paragraph  by  paragraph,  until 
the  student  has  obtained  a  fairly  clear  idea  of  what  the 
prophet  said,  and  his  manner  of  saying  it  The  para- 
phrase will  facilitate  this  by  explaining  in  advance  many 
puzzling  phrases. 

A  paraphrase  is  necessarily  an  interpretation.  It 
often  chooses  one  out  of  several  possible  renderings,  a 
choice  which  the  independent  student  may  not  ratify. 
The  decision  is  not  made  carelessly  in  the  first  place, 
but  should  not  be  considered  as  final.  The  great  value 
of  the  paraphrase  is  the  short  cut  which  it  affords  to  in- 
dependence in  the  reading  and  interpretation  of  Scrip- 
ture. 

A  paraphrase  opens  the  way  to  the  busy  man  or 
woman  to  enter  upon  the  most  interesting  phase  of 
Bible  study,  the  comparison  of  prophet  with  prophet 
in  surroundings,  method,  distinctive  ideas,  and  out- 
look, and  their  arrangement  in  a  developing  series. 
The  prophets  were  independent  thinkers,  each  putting 
in  his  own  way  the  divine  message  with  which  he  had 
been  entrusted  ;  yet  their  teachings  possess  fundamental 
unity,  and  a  continuity  which  can  be  traced  through 
every  chapter.  They  struggled  with  problems  which 
confront  the  human  mind  in  every  age,  and  possess 
perennial  attraction.     When  the  student  becomes  able 


Earlier  Prophets  Introduction 

to  state  to  himself  the  ideas  which  they  held  in  com- 
mon, and  the  questions  which  they  aimed  to  answer  ; 
to  determine  each  prophet' s  contribution  to  the  discus- 
sion, and  to  realize  how  God  led  them  step  by  step  to 
the  discovery  of  the  broadest  and  most  fundamental 
truth  regarding  God  and  man  and  the  universe, — he  has 
discovered  the  secret  of  making  his  reading  of  the  whole 
Old  Testament  a  never-ending  delight 


19 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS  THE  JUDEAN 
TO  NORTHERN  ISRAEL 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS  THE  JUDEAN 
TO  NORTHERN  ISRAEL 


THE   PROPHET,  AND   THE   PEOPLE   TO   WHOM 
HE   SPOKE 

It  was  an  eventful  moment  in  the  history  of  mankind, 
as  well  as  in  that  of  the  Hebrew  race,  when  Amos,  the 
Judean  shepherd,  stood  up  at  Bethel,  the  great  royal 
sanctuary  of  the  northern  kingdom,  to  preach,  in  the 
name  of  Jehovah,  to  the  assembled  Israelites.  The  date 
was  about  the  middle  of  the  eighth  century  B.  C, 
the  opening  days  of  which  had  been  characterized  by  a  re- 
markable increase  in  the  political  and  material  prosperity 
of  the  two  Hebrew  kingdoms,  and  the  closing  years  of 
which  were  destined  to  witness  the  deep  humiliation  of 
Judah  and  the  complete  annihilation  of  Israel.  Assyria, 
the  cause  of  these  mighty  changes,  had  not  yet  laid  her 
iron  hand  upon  the  petty  states  of  Palestine,  although  she 
had  already  given  them  repeated  warnings.  Their  fate 
was  delayed  only  until  the  reins  of  power  should  fall 
into  the  hands  of  strong  and  ambitious  monarchs  who 
23 


Amos  Messages  of  the 

would  turn  westward  the  invincible  legions  of  the  great 
empire.  The  more  thoughtful  of  the  Israelites  could 
not  shut  their  eyes  to  the  fact  that  Assyria,  who  in  crip- 
pling their  old  foe,  the  Arameans,  had  proved  a  savior 
to  them  (i  Kings  13  ;  5),  was  a  dangerous  neighbor. 
The  majority  of  the  princes  and  people,  however,  trust- 
ing to  their  military  equipment,  and  to  the  protection  of 
Jehovah,  which  they  confidently  hoped  to  gain  through 
the  wealth  of  their  offerings,  had  succeeded  in  com- 
pletely blinding  their  eyes  to  the  perils  of  the  situation. 
The  tribute  and  products  of  foreign  art,  which,  as  a  re- 
sult of  the  conquests  and  commercial  policy  of  the 
reigning  king,  Jeroboam  II,  for  the  first  time  since  the 
age  of  Solomon  came  to  the  Israelites  in  rich  abun- 
dance, aroused  new  ambitions  and  tastes.  The  mutual 
regard  for  each  other' s  interests  which  had  existed  be- 
tween rulers  and  people  while  they  were  struggling 
together  against  common  want  and  adversity,  had  disap- 
peared. In  the  new-born  desire  to  gratify  their  love  of 
display  and  luxury,  the  ruling  classes  were  cruelly  wrong- 
ing those  who  were  dependent  upon  them. 

The  mass  of  the  people  still  conceived  of  Jehovah 
very  much  as  their  neighbors  the  Moabites,  or  Edomites, 
conceived  of  their  national  gods.  While  they  faithfully 
bore  to  his  sanctuaries  rich  offerings,  and  abstained  from 
the  worship  of  rival  deities,  they  felt  confident  that  he 
24 


Earlier  Prophets  Amos 

would  protect  their  interests  as  far  as  he  was  able.  The 
readiness  with  which  the  Hebrews  in  succeeding  genera- 
tions front  time  to  time  paid  homage  to  other  gods  is 
but  one  of  the  many  indications  that  the  conception  of 
Jehovah  as  the  one  and  the  supreme  God  in  the  universe 
was  not  yet  a  tenet  in  their  popular  faith.  The  Hebrew 
race  had  only  learned  their  alphabet  in  the  great  school 
of  divine  revelation.  In  accordance  with  the  purpose 
of  the  Eternal,  great  political  transformations  were  soon 
to  take  place.  These  were  destined  to  open  the  minds 
of  certain  humble  consecrated  men  to  the  appreciation 
of  new  and  revolutionizing  truths.  Made  prophets  by 
virtue  of  the  possession  of  this  broader  conception  of 
Jehovah's  character  and  demands,  they  came  before 
their  contemporaries  to  proclaim  a  nobler  ideal  of  life 
and  service.  In  contrast  with  the  imperfect  old,  it  was 
an  almost  new  religion. 

The  mass  of  the  people  clung  tenaciously  to  the  an- 
cient half-truths  of  the  past,  which,  in  the  light  of  the 
fuller  revelation,  figured  only  as  superstitions  and  falla- 
cies. Assyria' s  victorious  advance  shook  their  faith  in 
Jehovah' s  willingness  and  power  to  deliver  his  people. 
The  prophets  alone,  whose  souls  were  open  to  the  influ- 
ence of  his  divine  spirit,  realized  that  he  was  the 
supreme  God  of  the  universe,  and  that  the  calamity, 
which  was  soon  to  overtake  their  nation,  came  not  be- 
25 


Amos  Messages  of  the 

cause  he  was  unable  to  avert  it,  but  because  the  sins^of 
his  people  rendered  such  a  judgment  necessary.  Here 
is  found  the  explanation  of  the  popular  indifference  and 
contempt  with  which  the  messages  of  the  pre-exilic 
prophets  were  greeted.  Their  break  with  the  past  was 
too  abrupt,  their  ideal  was  too  lofty,  their  teaching  was 
too  pure,  to  gain  general  acceptance.  Not  until  bitter 
national  experiences  had  prepared  the  way,  did  the 
people  begin  to  heed  the  warnings  and  the  counsels  of 
their  enlightened  leaders. 

The  task  which  confronted  Amos,  therefore,  was  not 
inviting.  As  he  observed  the  injustice,  the  oppression, 
the  self-indulgent  luxury,  the  indifference  and  im- 
morality, which  characterized  the  northern  kingdom, 
he  found  little  encouragement  that  his  word  of  denun- 
ciation would  be  heeded.  The  fact  that  he  was  a  humble 
shepherd,  who  gained  his  living  by  following  the  lowliest 
pursuit  which  poverty-stricken  Judah  offered,  was  any- 
thing but  a  favorable  introduction  to  the  opulent  north- 
erners. His  solemn  face,  his  rude  attire,  and,  above 
all,  his  accent,  which  indicated  that  he  was  a  native 
of  insignificant  Judah,  must  have  aroused  at  once  a 
violent  prejudice  against  him  in  the  minds  of  that  gay 
throng  which  streamed  up  to  celebrate  a  great  feast-day 
at  the  wealthy  and  popular  shrine  at  Bethel.  His  mes- 
sage also  was  one  of  uncompromising  denunciation  ;  for 
26 


Earlier  Prophets  Amos 

while,  on  the  barren  uplands  which  extend  from  Tekoah, 
his  home,  eastward  toward  the  Dead  Sea,  he  had 
watched  the  patient  sheep,  and  meditated  long  and 
deeply  upon  the  evils  and  dangers  of  the  present  situa- 
tion, Jehovah  had  revealed  to  him  an  ideal  of  justice 
which  threw  into  startling  relief  the  injustice  rampant  in 
Israel.  Simple,  straightforward,  fearless  man  that  he 
was,  with  no  attempt  at  palliation  he  laid  bare  all  its 
social  and  religious  corruption,  and  declared  that,  as 
sure  as  Jehovah  was  a  God  of  justice,  he  must  and  would 
destroy  that  corrupt  northern  kingdom.  The  effect  upon 
the  rulers,  who  were  the  especial  object  of  his  attack, 
can  be  imagined.  The  fact  that  his  charge  was  true 
only  increased  their  rage.  The  seventh  chapter  tells  us 
that  the  moment  he  referred  to  the  approaching  over- 
throw of  the  reigning  house,  and  thus  gave  an  occasion 
for  an  accusation  of  treason,  Amaziah,  the  chief  priest  at 
Bethel,  reported  to  the  king  that  Amos  had  conspired 
against  him,  and  that  for  the  peace  of  the  kingdom  this 
rebellious  prophet  must  be  suppressed.  "The  land  is 
not  able  to  hear  his  words,"  was  his  suggestive  confes- 
sion. Apparently  not  waiting  for  an  order  from  Jero- 
boam, Amaziah  forthwith  commanded  Amos  to  flee 
back  to  Judah,  and  there  gain  a  living  by  prophesying, 
if  he  could,  but  never  again  to  open  his  mouth  at  the 
royal  sanctuary  of  Bethel.  ' '  I  am  not  a  professional 
27 


Amos  Messages  of  the 

prophet,  as  your  sneering  words  imply,"  was  Amos' s ^re- 
sponse, "nor  do  I  belong  to  any  of  the  prophetical 
guilds  ;  but  I  am  a  plain  man  who  earns  his  daily  bread 
by  honest  toil.  From  my  lowly  tasks  Jehovah  called 
and  commanded  me  to  deliver  a  message  to  the  north- 
ern kingdom.  In  silencing  me  you  are  defying  Jehovah. 
Upon  you,  who  represent  the  class  I  came  to  denounce, 
and  upon  your  family,  shall  be  visited  all  the  miseries 
of  conquest  and  captivity."  It  is  not  improbable  that 
that  act  of  tyranny,  which  brought  the  mission  of  Amos 
to  an  abrupt  end,  led  him  to  preach  with  the  pen  when 
his  lips  were  silenced,  and  thus  rendered  his  words  im- 
mortal. 

He  certainly  is  the  first  of  that  remarkable  group  of 
prophets  who  speak  to  us  through  their  writings  almost 
as  clearly  to-day  as  they  did  to  the  surging,  impatient, 
curious  crowds  of  Hebrews  who  gathered  about  them 
twenty -six  centuries  ago.  In  imagination,  taking  our 
place  in  one  of  these  audiences,  we  may  listen  to  the 
stem  message  of  Amos,  and  follow  his  thought,  even 
though  in  translating  it  into  nineteenth  -  century  phra- 
seology we  lose  much  of  the  beauty  and  force  of  the  rug- 
ged, poetical  Hebrew  in  which  he  wrapped  his  ideas  as 
he  hurled  them  at  his  hearers. 


28 


Earlier  Prophets  Amos  i  :  4 

II 

THE  OPENING  ADDRESS  AT  BETHEL  (l  I  2  tO  2  I  16) 

I.   The  Text  (1:2) 

Jehovah,  justly  indignant  because  of  the  crimes  of  the  nations, 
is  about  to  send  upon  the  earth  a  destructive  Judgment,  so 
severe  that  the  most  fertile  spots  shall  become  utterly  barren 
and  desolate. 

2.  Introduction.     The  Sins  and  Condemnation  of 
IsraeV s  Neighbors  (i  :  3  to  2  :  5) 

Are  you  enraged,  O  Israelites,  at  the  suggestion,  con-  Guilt  of  the 
tained  in  my  text,  that  upon  you  judgment  is  soon  to  be  andThe°* 
visited  ?     Listen  a  moment  before  you  turn  your  backs  awaSs^thera 
upon  me.     I  come  to  declare  that,  although  Jehovah  ^^-3-5) • 
has   repeatedly  overlooked  the   offenses  of  your  hated 
enemies,  the  Arameans,  their  cup  of  transgression  is  at 
last  filled  to  overflowing.     No  longer  will  he  withhold 
well-merited  punishment.      An  utter  disregard   of  the 
obligations,  recognized  by  heathen  nations  even  in  time 
of  war,  such  as  appeared,  for  example,  in  their  inhuman 
treatment  of  the  conquered  Gileadites,  your  brethren,  is 
a  crime  which  cannot  be  condoned.     Jehovah,  whose 
sway  is  not  limited  to  the  land  of  Canaan  (as  some  of 
you  in  your  ignorance  still  suppose),  will  avenge  those 
awful   deeds  of  cruelty.     The  family  of  the  merciless 
29 


Amos  I  :  4  Messages  of  the 

conqueror  Hazael  shall  be  hurled  from  the  throne  of 

Damascus  ;    the  defenses  of  that  proud   city  shall   be 

broken  down,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  shall  be 

slain.     Those  of  the  condemned  race  who  survive  shall 

be  carried  away  into  distant  captivity. 

Retribution      Not   the  Aramcans   only,    but   those   uncircumcised 

Philistines    Philistincs,   whom  you  hate  so  intensely,   have  sinned 

^^'^"^^'      until  Jehovah   cannot   forgive.     Heathen  though  they 

were,  they  knew  that  it  was  a  crime  to  sell  remorselessly 

into   galling   slavery   old   men,  women,  children, — all, 

whether   friends   or   foes,    who    fell   into   their    hands. 

Jehovah,   who  rules  the   nations,  will  visit  their  guilt 

upon  their  heads.     Destroyed  shall  be  their  great  cities, 

slain  shall  be  king  and  people. 

Retribution      For  similar  acts  of  cruelty  the  Tyrians  shall  receive 

for  the  ■'  ■     •' 

Tyrians       like  recompense  at  the  hands  of  Jehovah.     Remorseless 

fire  shall  consume  their  proud  city  with  its  palaces. 
Retribution       Naturally,  in  the  same  connection  you  think  of  the 
Edomites     Edomitcs.      Their   hour   of  retribution   likewise   is   at 
•  '^»  '2).  j^^jj^j^     These  unnatural  kinsmen  of  yours  lost  no  oppor- 
tunity in  your  time  of  weakness  to  give  you  a  mortal 
thrust.     They  showed  no  mercy  ;  neither  will  Jehovah 
spare  them. 
Retribution      The  Ammonites  also  belong  to  that  accursed  circle  of 
Ammonites  cruel,  implacable  foes  who  have  tried  to  drag  you  down 
(i  •  13-15).    ^^^  drink  your  life-blood.      No   longer  will   Jehovah 

30 


Earlier  Prophets  Amos  2  :  4 

overlook  the  deeds  of  brutality  to  which  their  thirst  for 
conquest  has  led  them.  At  his  command  their  cities 
and  palaces  shall  fall  before  a  tempest  of  war  and  de- 
struction, and  their  rulers  shall  be  carried  into  captivity. 

Moreover,  Jehovah  declares  that  the  Moabites  have  Retribution 
transgressed  beyond  the  possibility  of  forgiveness.    True,  Moabites 
you  have  succeeded  in  subduing  them,  and  therefore     ' 
their  most  atrocious  sins  are  not  those  of  cruelty.     You 
all  recall  how,  prompted  by  bitter  hatred  for  their  treach- 
erous southern  foes,  disregarding  the  sanctity  of  the  dead, 
— held  inviolable  even  by  savages, — they  dragged  forth 
the  bones  of  an  Edomite  king,  and  burned  them.    Upon 
their  cities  and  rulers,  therefore,  shall  be  visited  the  same 
bitter  woes  of  war  and  conquest 

I  can  see  by  your  approval,  O  Israelites,  that  you  wel-  Retribution 
come  the  news  of  the  judgment  which  Jehovah  is  about  judeans 
to  execute  upon  these  heathen  peoples.     In  so  doing  you  ^^  '  "*' 
accept  the  great  truth  that  he  rules,  not  only  over  Israel, 
but  also  over  these  nations,  and  that,  although  he  is  long- 
suffering,  there  comes  a  time  when  he  must  punish  un- 
checked evils.    You  also  acknowledge  the  principle  that, 
as  responsibility  is  proportionate  to  enlightenment,  so 
likewise  is  the  punishment,  if  the  responsibility  is  rejected. 
Hence,  you  will  agree  that  Jehovah  is  just  in  sending 
retribution  upon  the  Judeans,  who,  knowing  his  will  far 
better  than  those  other  nations,  hav*  treacherously  failed 
31 


Amos  2  :  4  Messages  of  the 

to  comply  with   his  laws.      They,   like  their  heathen 
neighbors,  shall  experience  the  horrors  of  conquest 

3.  The  Sins  and  Condemnation  of  Israel  (2  ;  6-16). 

Crimes  Hear  now,    O   Israelites,    the  painful  message  that 

dude  pir-  Jehovah  has  sent  me  to  declare.  Your  cup  of  transgres- 
don(2:6-8).gj^^  also  is  fuU  to  Overflowing,  so  that  just  punishment 
can  no  longer  be  withheld.  Like  the  royal  culprit 
David,  you  stand  condemned  in  accordance  with  the 
same  principles  which  you  have  so  readily  accepted  in 
the  case  of  others.  The  only  difference  between  you 
and  your  barbarian  neighbors  is  that  your  sins  are  more 
heinous.  If  you  question  this,  behold  the  injustice  and 
the  inhuman  cruelty  of  your  rulers.  They  do  not  hesi- 
tate to  sacrifice  an  honest  man,  if  they  think  that  they 
can  themselves  gain  a  farthing  thereby.  Their  insati- 
able greed  has  exhausted  every  spark  of  mercy  in  their 
hearts.  The  most  shameless  immorality  is  openly  prac- 
tised. Worst  of  all,  like  the  Canaanites,  they  gratify 
their  lust  under  the  guise  of  religion  ;  and,  to  make  their 
guilt  complete,  in  sating  their  unholy  appetites,  they  use, 
as  accessories,  the  possessions  which  they  have  unjustly 
extorted  from  their  needy  dependents. 
What  Jeho-  Compare  with  their  base  ingratitude  all  that  Jehovah 
done  for  this  has  done  for  them.  When  they  were  a  disorganized 
people  (2 : 9- j^^^j^j^   of  serfs,  he  delivered  them  from  bondage  in 

32 


Earlier  Prophets  Amos  3  :  2 

Egypt ;  he  led  them  through  the  perils  of  the  wilder- 
ness ;  he  enabled  them  to  subdue  this  land  of  Canaan, 
possessed  though  it  was  by  powerful  peoples.  For  their 
spiritual  nurture,  he  sent  to  them  prophets  to  teach,  by 
word  of  mouth,  his  will,  and  Nazirites  to  illustrate,  by 
their  lives,  the  ideals  of  purity  and  of  consecration. 

Instead  of  learning  the  lesson  which  Jehovah  sought  Their  base 
to  inculcate,  they  silenced  his  prophets  and  induced  the  (2 :  12). 
Nazirites  to  break  their  holy  vows  of  abstinence. 

National  annihilation  awaits  them  at  the  hand  of  Je-  P'^e  retnbu- 
hovah.      In  the  coming  day  of  judgment,  neither  the  Israel 
strongest,  nor  the  swiftest,  nor  the  best  equipped,  nor    '  ^^'^ 
the  most  courageous,  shall  escape  the  overwhelming  de- 
struction. 


Ill 

NO    EXCUSE   OR    PARDON    FOR   THE   CRIMES   OF 

Israel's  leaders  (3  and  4) 
Give  heed,  O  Israelites,  to  the  solemn  message  which  Responsl- 

bility  pro- 
Jehovah  sends  to  you,  his  favored  people.       "True,  you portionate to 

of  all  nations  stand  in  a  peculiarly  intimate  relation  to  (J^f^I^  2"!"*^ 
me.     Do  not  deceive  yourselves,  however,  by  thinking 
that  for  that  reason  you  will  be  exempted  from  punish- 
ment    On  the  contrary,  greater  privilege  brings  with  it 
33 


Amos  3  :  2  Messages  of  the 

greater  responsibility,  and  therefore,  in  the  light  of  your 
base  betrayal  of  the  trust,  severer  judgment" 
Theproph-  Some  of  you  question  my  right  thus  to  address  you  in 
tionofhis  the  name  of  Jehovah.  Consider:  Does  anything  come 
prophesy  to  pass  in  the  natural  world  without  a  sufficient  cause  ? 
(3  '•  3-8)  Conversely,  does  not  a  sufficient  cause  produce  a  corre- 
sponding effect  ? 

The  fact  that  I  stand  here  preaching  to  you,  although 

so  doing  endangers  my  life,  implies  a  cause,   namely, 

that  Jehovah  has  given  me  a  revelation  concerning  you. 

When  he  commands,  his  prophet  must  obey. 

Israel  guilty     You  are  the  chosen  people  of  Jehovah  !   Letproclama- 

even  in  the  r       r  j  r 

eyes  of  the    tion  be  made,  and  your  heathen  neighbors  summoned  to 
(3 :  9, 10).     witness  the  state  of  anarchy  within  your  capital,  and  the 

crimes   of  oppression  and  of  legalized  robbery  which 

your  nobles  are  committing. 
Fate  await-       While  such  enormities  exist,  think  not  for  a  moment 
rupt  rulers    that  your  land,  and  those  greedy  rulers  who  are  betray- 


(3 :  "-15).) 


ing  you,  shall  escape  the  common  judgment.  Worthless 
shall  be  that  which  is  left  of  all  these  princely  palaces, 
with  their  luxurious  appointments  ;  overthrown  shall  be 
the  royal  sanctuary  here  at  Bethel,  when  the  rapacious 
world-conqueror  who  is  advancing  has  completed  his 
work  of  destruction. 

Voluptuous,  thoughtless  women  of  Samaria,  who  have 
so  completely  lost  all  sense  of  pity  for  the  afflicted  that 
34 


Earlier  Prophets  Amos  4:13 

you  are  constantly  urging  on  your  husbands  to  grind  Guilt  of  the 

,      .        ,  1  1  ,  .,,,,,  wives  of  the 

their  dependents  the  more,  that,  with  the  blood-money  nobles 
thus  secured,  they  may  pander  to  your  vile  appetites,     ' 
listen  to  your  sentence.     As  surely  as  a  God  of  justice 
lives,  brutal  conquerors  shall  soon  come   to  drag  you 
forth  as  captives. 

Do  you  urge,  O  Israelites,  that  you  are  punctilious  in  Vanity  of 
bringing  to  Jehovah  rich  offerings,  and  that,  therefore,  moniai  wor- 
he  cannot  think  of  inflicting  upon  you  a  judgment  such  *^'P  ^'^  • '^' 5) 
as  I  predict  ?    Deluded  fools  !    Go  on  with  your  round 
of  ceremonies,  regulated  so  as  to  conduce  to  your  per- 
sonal  pleasure.      In   the   eyes  of  Jehovah  it  is  mere 
mockery. 

All  this  ritualistic  service  has  only  lulled  your  con- Jehovah's 

,  ^  ,  .  .,  ■■  ,      plain  warn- 

sciences  to  rest,  so  that  you  have  been  insensible  to  the  ings  un- 
most  obvious  indications  of  divine  displeasure.  As  you  (4^^6-11). 
must  all  remember,  he  has  sent  upon  you  famine, 
drought,  insect  plagues,  pestilence,  and  earthquake  in 
their  most  hideous  forms,  and  yet  you  have  not  learned 
the  lesson  he  would  teach  and  turned  to  him  in  peni- 
tence. 

You  stand  convicted  of  the  most  heinous  charges  ever  inevitable 
brought  against  a  nation  ;   the  fatuity  of  the   defense  pending" 
which  you  have   urged  has  been  conclusively  demon-  ^*  *  "'  '^^ 
strated  ;  you  have  persistently  refused  to  heed  Jehovah' s 
plain  and  repeated  warnings  ;  therefore,  prepare  to  meet 
35 


Amos  4:13  Messages  of  the 

the  awful  and  inevitable  judgment,  which  Jehovah,  the 
all-powerful  creator  and  just  ruler  of  the  universe,  is 
soon  to  execute  upon  you. 


IV 

EXTRACTS   FROM    SERMONS  OF   EXHORTATION 
AND   WARNING 

I.  Ritual  Useless  to  Deliver  from  the  Consequences 
of  Moral  Guilt  (5) 

A  lament  Let  ring  in  your  ears,  O  Israelites,  the  sad  dirge  which 

shall  soon  be  sung  over  your  nation  : 

Fallen,  never  again  to  rise, 
Is  the  virgin  Israel ; 
Prostrate  upon  her  soil  she  lies  ; 
There  is  none  to  raise  her.  ^ 

For  grim  war  shall  speedily  do  its  devastating  work, 
and  only  a  small  fraction  of  your  population  shall  sur- 
vive. 
Repentance,     Would  you  escape  your  doom  ?    Then  do  not  resort 

not  ritual,  "'  .  ^       . 

will  save,      to  the  public  shrines  with  offerings  in  your  hand.    There 
^■'^^'       is  no  salvation  in  so  doing.     Those  sanctuaries,  with 

1  Here  the  prophet  introduces  the  peculiar  rhythmic  parallelism  consist- 
ing of  an  alternating  long  and  short  member,  which  was  regularly  em- 
ployed in  the  Hebrew  elegy. 

36 


Earlier  Prophets  Amos  5:15 

1 
their  corrupt  services,  are  themselves  objects  of  divine 
wrath.  Gilgal  shall  drink  to  her  fill  the  gall  of  exile  ; 
Bethel,  house  of  God,  shall  become  a  house  of  perdition.  1 
The  only  and  sufficient  way  to  secure  deliverance  is  to 
go  directly  to  Jehovah  with  the  earnest  prayer  of  contri- 
tion. Lose  no  time,  O  perverters  of  justice !  lest  his 
vengeance  overwhelm  the  northern  kingdom,  and  it  be 
too  late  to  appeal  for  mercy  to  him  who,  meting  out 
judgment  to  the  strong  as  well  as  to  the  weak,  rules  su- 
preme in  nature  and  in  human  affairs. 

Alas  !  you,  who  are  Israel's  leaders,  give  no  evidence  Depravity  of 
of  repentance.  Your  attitude  toward  one  who  denounces  (5  :  1V13)! 
your  crimes  is  that  of  bitter  hostility.  Intent  only  upon 
building  palaces  for  yourselves,  and  upon  gratifying  your 
luxurious  desires,  you  extort  from  the  poor  ;  you  perse- 
cute an  honest  man  in  the  courts  ;  you  grant  the  decision 
to  the  one  who  gives  you  the  largest  bribe.  So  com- 
pletely is  evil  in  the  ascendency  that  a  wise  man  submits 
to  injustice  without  a  protest  I  warn  you  solemnly  that 
you  will  never  enjoy  the  fruits  of  your  iniquitous  con- 
duct. 

To  whomsoever  my  words  appeal  I  repeat,  persevere  Advice  and 

rr  11  I  •    1     •        •    1       •         1  •    1  /■  encourage- 

m  your  efforts  to  do  that  which  is  right  in  the  sight  of  ment  for  the 
God,  and  he,  the  all-powerful   and  just,  will  not  fail  (5^  m,  15". 

1 A  rude  attempt  is  here  made  to  reproduce  the  play  on  words  contained 
in  the  Hebrew,  "  Ha -Gilgal  galoh  yigleh." 

37 


Amos  5:15 


Messages  of  the 


The  national 
disaster  im' 
pending 
(5:x6-ao). 


Ceremonial 

offerings, 

without 

righteous 

conduct,  a 

mockery 

(5:81-27). 


you.  Undauntedly  strive  to  put  down  public  evil,  and 
to  purify  the  law  courts  ;  perchance  a  faithful  few  may 
yet  survive  the  approaching  destruction  to  enjoy  Jeho- 
vah's blessings  and  favor. 

For  Israel  as  a  whole  the  immediate  future  has  nothing 
but  woe.  Instead  of  the  present  mad  revels,  wails  of 
lamentation  shall  rise  from  every  class.  Deluded  are 
those  who  long  for  the  time  when  Jehovah  will  interpose 
in  human  history.  "The  day  of  Jehovah"  shall  bring 
no  joy  to  this  guilty  people,  but  only  misfortune  and 
retribution. 

Hold  not  up  your  ceremonial  services  as  a  cloak  to 
cover  your  crimes,  for  Jehovah  takes  no  pleasure  in 
empty  forms.  Put  them  away,  for  they  are  utterly  re- 
pugnant to  him.  The  multitude  of  your  burnt  and  your 
meal  offerings,  and  your  elaborate  ritual,  are  meaning- 
less when  not  accompanied  with  righteous  deeds. 
Would  you  win  his  favor  ?  Then  let  your  every  act  be 
governed  by  the  laws  of  justice.  During  the  years  of 
your  wilderness  wanderings  you  could  bring  him  no  sac- 
rifices, and  yet  was  he  not  pleased  with  you?  Con- 
formity, not  to  ceremonial  laws,  but  to  those  of  right,  is 
the  essence  of  true  service.  Since  justice  is  completely 
lacking  in  your  national  character,  you  shall  be  carried 
into  captivity,  bearing  the  heathen  gods  with  whom  you 
are  now  sharing  the  homage  due  Jehovah. 
3S 


Earlier  Prophets  Amos  6  :  14 


2.  Israel  s  Blind,  Selfish  Rulers  Leading  their  Nation 
to  Certain  Ruin  (6) 

A  curse   on   you,   voluptuous,    careless   rulers,    upon  Heartless 
whom  devolves  the  direction  of  these  two  powerful  He-  gence  of  th« 
brew  kingdoms  !     Shutting  your  eyes  to  the  grave  dan-  (6  :^Jf6). 
gers  which  threaten,  you  enthrone  injustice,  and  devote 
your  whole  attention  to  gratifying  your  love  of  ease  and 
luxury.     As  if  life  were  only  one  long  revel,  you  sing 
foolish    songs,    drinking    yourselves    drunk,    anointing 
yourselves  with  costly  perfumes,  wholly  indifferent  to  the 
ruin  which  hangs  over  this  goodly  land  of  Israel. 

Therefore,  when  the  foreign  conqueror  comes,  these  Sentence 
dissolute  leaders,  who  have  betrayed  their  trust,  will  be  ?ule?s  and 
among  the  first  to  taste  the  woes  of  captivity.     Jehovah,  Je^fyfu), 
disgusted  with  all  this  vain  show  and  criminal  luxury, 
has  determined  to  bring  upon  Israel  all  the  horrors  of 
war.     Pestilence  shall  complete  the  direful  work  of  the 
sword,  90  that  the  few  panic-stricken  survivors  shall  not 
dare  to  utter  the  name  of  Jehovah,  lest  still  further  judg- 
ment be  called  down  upon  them.     In  the  general  col- 
lapse, together  shall  crumble  palace  and  hovel. 

Think  not  for  a  moment  that  you  will  realize  the  im-  Israel's  con- 
possible.      You  cannot  persist  in  your  course  of  injus-  Aslyria^in- 
tice  and  expect  to  enjoy  the  rewards  of  equity.     Trust  not  1^:^2.1^), 
in  your  military  strength  and  powers  to  save  you  ;   for 
39 


Amos  6  :  14  Messages  of  the 

already  Jehovah  is  arousing  an  invincible  nation,  which 
will  devastate  your  land,  O  Israelites,  from  your  northern 
to  your  southernmost  border. 


SYMBOLIC  VISIONS  OF  IMPENDING  JUDGMENT 

(7:1-9;  8:  I  to  9:  6) 
The  lesson        If  you  do  not  apprehend  the  full  significance  of  my 

of  the  locust     ,    .    ^  X^  ,     ,      .„  ^ 

plague  plam  statements,  O  Israel,  I  will  present  the  same  truths 
^ '  ^  ^  '  to  you  in  pictures,  so  that,  with  the  aid  of  memory  and 
of  imagination,  you  may  see  as  well  as  hear,  and  thus 
perchance  be  led  to  profit  by  my  message.  During  those 
troublesome  days  through  which  you  have  passed,'  my 
eyes,  enlightened  by  Jehovah,  beheld  the  dread  sight  of 
a  vast  army  of  locusts  sweeping  over  the  land,  devastat- 
ing all  before  them.  The  calamity  was  the  greater  be- 
cause it  came  just  as  the  people  were  about  to  reap  their 
spring  crops,  upon  which  they  depended  for  subsistence. 
Recognizing  that  it  was  sent  as  a  judgment,  I  besought 
Jehovah  to  pardon,  not  because  the  punishment  was  un- 
merited, but  because  Israel  was  so  unprepared  to  survive 
it  Infinitely  compassionate,  he  granted  my  petition, 
and  spared. 

&Cf.  4:6-11. 


Earlier  Prophets  Amos  8  :  3 

Again  the  Almighty  opened  my  eyes,  not  only  to  see,  Fiery  judg- 

,  1  ,         ,  .       .  ^  r  •        ment  averted 

but  to   understand,    the    significance   of  a  consuming  (7 : 4-6). 
drought,  which  like  a  mighty  conflagration  dried  up  the 
great  source  of  all  waters,  and  threatened  to  burn  up  the 
parched  earth.     Knowing  that  it  was  sent  in  judgment, 
I  besought  him  to  spare,  and  again  he  answered  me. 

Still  a  third  time  Jehovah  presented  to  my  mind  a  vis-  ^*''*f I '"*,**' 
ion  of  himself  standing  with  a  plummet  in  his  hand,  plummet 
When  I  understood  the  meaning  of  that  symbol  of  im-  w'anting 
partial  justice,  no  longer  could  I  crave  mercy  for  Israel,  ^^ '  ^"^'* 
that  nation  fallen  so  far  from  the   standard   of  right 
Therefore  I  listened  to  Jehovah's   declaration    that  he 
would  no  more  pardon  his  people,  but  that  rather  he 
would  speedily  bring  upon  their  corrupt  sanctuaries  and 
ruling  house  the  fire  and  sword  of  the  conqueror. 

When  Amaziah,  the  priest  of  Bethel,  drove  me  forth,  Israel  ripe 

forjudg- 

denying  to  Jehovah's  prophet  free  utterance, — his  God-  ment 
given  right, — there  rose  before  me  the  vision  of  a  basket  '  ^  ' 
of  summer  fruit,  luscious,  outwardly  attractive,  but  dead 
ripe,  and  destined  within  a  few  days  to  become  a  mass 
of  loathsome  putrefaction.  "Even  thus,"  for  so  Jeho- 
vah interpreted  to  me,  "  is  Israel  ripe^  for  punishment" 
Bitter  cries  of  lamentation  shall  soon  succeed  present 
festivity.     Where  now  stands  the  joyful  throng,  heaps  of 

1  In   the  Hebrew  KHz,  ''  end,"  represents  a  play  on  the  word  Kaits, 
"  summer  fruits." 


Amos  8  :  3  Messages  of  the 

corpses,  hushed  in  death,  shall  lie.  Know  the  ^ate 
which  awaits  you,  rapacious  rulers  and  merchants, — 
you  who  show  no  mercy  to  the  poor  and  needy,  you 
whose  chief  aim  is  to  cheat  both  God  and  your  fellow- 
men.  As  surely  as  Jehovah  is  omnipotent,  your  sins 
shall  be  punished.  Nature  shall  conspire  with  the  hos- 
tile foe  to  complete  the  destruction  of  your  land.  An- 
guish inexpressible  shall  fill  all  hearts.  Then,  too  late, 
shall  arise  an  intense  longing  to  receive  a  prophetic  mes- 
sage from  Jehovah  ;  but  none  shall  then  be  vouchsafed. 
The  ardent  devotees  of  the  popular  shrines,  such  as 
Samaria  and  Dan,  shall  likewise  share  the  common  fate. 
Divine  ven-       As  I  meditated  upon  the  conditions  which  I  found  in 

geance  upon 

the  nation  Northern  Israel,  the  corruption  of  civil  and  religious 
^  *  ^  *  rulers,  the  hollow  formalism  of  the  national  religion,  the 
blind  popular  confidence  in  ceremonialism,  I  seemed  to 
see  Jehovah  standing  above  the  altar  from  whence  the 
smoke  of  their  sacrifices  rose.  No  blessing  descended. 
Instead  came  the  command  to  smite  the  supports  of  the 
great  temple,  which  forthwith  fell  in  overwhelming  ruin 
upon  the  heads  of  the  worshipers.  With  that  command 
came  the  divine  declaration  that  the  sword  should  com- 
plete the  work  of  destruction.  Neither  in  the  depths  of 
the  earth,  nor  on  the  dizzy  heights,  nor  within  lonely 
mountain  caves,  nor  in  the  distant  lands  of  exile,  should 
escape  be  found  from  the  hand  of  the  avenger.  He  who 
42 


Earlier  Prophets  Amos  9  :  lo 

rules  supreme  over  the  forces  of  heaven  and  earth,  Jeho- 
vah, at  whose  command  land  and  sea  are  transformed, 
has  issued  the  mandate, — let  no  one  hope  for  an  instant 
that  that  just  decree  shall  fail  of  fulfilment 


VI 

THE  IMMEDIATE  AND  DISTANT  FUTURE  OF  THE 
HEBREW  RACE   (9  I  /-IS) 

Urge  no  longer,  O  Israelites,  the  vain  plea  that  Jeho-  Israel  an- 
vah  stands  in  such  a  peculiarly  close  relation  to  you  that  the  same 
he  will  not  destroy  you.      In  his  sight  you  are  on  an  arother^p!^o. 
equality  with  the  dark-skinned  Ethiopians.    True,  he  led  ^'^^  ^^  *  ^^* 
you  as  a  nation  out  of  Egypt,  but  in  precisely  the  same 
way  he  guided  your  hated  enemies,  the  Philistines  and 
the  Arameans,  as  they  set  out  from  the  lands  of  their 
nativity,  and  finally  gave  them  a  home  in  Palestine. 

Jehovah  sees  all  of  Israel*  s  guilt,  and,  since  he  is  a  God  Punishment 

r  '  .    ,    .        .  ,  ,  ,  •         -I  -,  1  .    <^f  the  nation 

of  impartial  justice,  he  can  do  nothing  but  destroy  this  shall  be  pro- 
wicked,  defiant  state.     Yet  the  Hebrew  race  shall  not  be  to  hs°guilt 
completely  cut  off,  for  all  are  not  equally  culpable.     To  ^^  *  ^'^°^* 
eliminate  the  evil  from  the  good,  Jehovah  will  scatter 
them  among  the  nations,  and  captivity,  like  a  sieve,  will 
separate  the  different  elements  in  the  nation.     The  defi- 
ant reprobates,  who  lull  the  people  to  sleep  with  beguil- 

43 


Amos  9  :  10-15 

ing  assurances  that  no  danger  impends,  will  receive  their 
just  desert  at  the   edge  of  the  sword  ;  but  over  each 
faithful  one  Jehovah  will  carefully  watch,  that  none  may 
be  lost. 
Epilogue:         [Jehovah  declares  that  when   captivity  has  done  its 
the  faithful   worlc  of  sifting,  and  when  the  Hebrew  race  has  learned, 
ous  festora-  through  discipline,  its  solemn  lessons,  he  will  revive  the 
Sant^^^    humbled  kingdom,  over  which  David  once  reigned,  and 
f"-"7-i  )     ^^^^  restore  to  it  the  prestige  and  wide  rule  of  that  glori- 
ous era.    In  those  coming  days,  so  abundant  shall  be  the 
fruits  of  the  soil  that,  before  they  are  gathered  in,  it  will 
be  time  again  to  begin  the  sowing.     Productive  vine- 
yards shall  crown  every  hill-top.     To   enjoy  this  rich 
bounty  of  nature,  and  to  rebuild  the  old  ruins,  Jehovah 
will  recall  his  scattered  people,  and  will  establish  them 
in  their  land,  from  whence  they  shall  never  again  be 
torn.] 


44 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ROSEA 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HOSEA 


THE  PROPHET,  AND  THE  CONDITIONS 
CONFRONTING   HIM 

Five  or  ten  years  after  Amos  the  Judean  delivered 
his  stirring  sermons  at  Bethel,  Hosea  began  to  preach  to 
his  countrymen.  The  geographical  and  historical  allu- 
sions, and  the  intense  sympathy  for  northern  Israel, 
which  appear  in  his  every  utterance,  leave  no  doubt  that 
he  was  a  northerner,  and  probably  a  Galilean.  Love 
for  Israel' s  fair  fields  and  hills,  for  her  people,  as  well  as 
for  her  God,  was  his  master-passion.  Although  the 
obscure  broken  sentences,  which  burst  from  his  lips, 
almost  conceal  the  fact,  Hosea  was  at  heart  a  poet 
Sometimes  shutting  his  eyes  to  the  conditions  which  con- 
fronted him,  he  gave  expression  to  his  poetic  insight, 
and  projected  into  the  distant  future  the  ideal  of  perfect 
harmony  and  love  between  Jehovah  and  his  creation  which 
filled  his  soul  and  dominated  his  every  word  and  act  His 
fate  it  was,  however,  to  stand  by  and  see  that  ideal  ruth- 
lessly trampled  upon  by  his  perversely  unappreciative 
47 


Hosea  Messages  of  the 

countrymen.  When  he  entered  upon  his  prophetic 
activity,  a  little  before  740  B.  C,  the  social,  political, 
and  religious  evils  which  Amos  pointed  out  so  plainly 
were  already  beginning  to  sap  the  strength  of  the  state  ; 
but  the  strong  hand  of  Jeroboam  II  (Hosea  i  :  4)  still 
held  the  kingdom  together,  and  the  Israelites  did  not 
realize  how  near  was  the  national  ruin,  which  Hosea 
repeatedly  proclaimed  in  his  sermons,  preserved  in 
Chapters  I-III. 

The  two  or  three  years  immediately  following  the 
death  of  Jeroboam  II  revealed  Israel's  fatal  weakness. 
The  inefficient  son  who  succeeded  the  old  king  was 
murdered  by  Menahem,  who  maintained  his  position 
on  the  tottering  throne  by  purchasing  with  heavy  tribute, 
wrung  from  his  unwilling  subjects,  the  support  of  Israel's 
most  dreaded  foe,  Assyria.  By  this  act,  Israel's  prestige 
and  that  of  its  king  were  forever  forfeited.  With  an  un- 
principled assassin  on  the  throne,  all  law  and  order  were 
relaxed.  The  body  politic  became  corrupt  from  top  to 
bottom.  In  this  atmosphere  the  social  evils  which 
Amos  denounced  increased  rather  than  abated. 

Private  as  well  as  public  honor  was  lost  Immorality 
was  openly  practised  unrebuked.  The  debasing  customs 
of  the  Canaanitish  neighbors  of  the  Israelites  were 
eagerly  adopted.  The  hollow  ceremonial  worship  of 
Jehovah,  which  had  served  well  enough  as  a  national 
48 


Earlier  Prophets  Hosea 

religion  in  time  of  prosperity,  broke  down  under  the 
test  of  adversity.  The  nation,  which  had  lost  faith  in 
itself  and  had  begun  to  seek  support  in  foreign  alliances, 
also  began  to  lose  faith  in  the  Jehovah,  whom,  in  their 
thought,  they  had  degraded  almost  to  the  level  of  a 
heathen  deity.  Israel  presented  the  sad  example  of  a 
nation  in  the  state  of  moral,  political,  and  religious 
collapse,  while  slowly  the  irresistible,  insatiable  foe, 
Assyria,  was  advancing  to  crush  it  Its  condition 
arouses  to-day  our  contempt  and  pity.  In  imagination 
it  is  possible  to  appreciate,  in  part,  at  least,  what  must 
have  been  the  anguish  of  the  inspired  poet,  patriot,  and 
prophet,  who  was  forced  to  witness  the  suicide  of  his 
beloved  nation.  In  the  light  of  these  facts  we  under- 
stand why  the  extracts  from  his  sermons,  delivered  dur- 
ing these  tragic  days  and  preserved  in  Chapters  IV-XIV, 
are  impassioned — often  obscure — cries,  now  of  denuncia- 
tion, now  of  anguish,  now  of  entreaty.  Before  the  final 
blow  came,  which  ended  Israel's  life  in  722  B.  C, 
Hosea' s  voice  apparently  was  silenced  either  by  heart- 
break or  martyrdom  ;  for  throughout  these  later  chapters 
there  are  no  allusions  to*the  closing  scenes  in  the  great 
tragedy.  Gilead  and  the  territory  about  the  Sea  of  Gali- 
lee, which,  in  734  B.  C.  were  conquered  and  annexed  to 
Assyria,  were  still  a  part  of  the  northern  kingdom 
(Hosea  5  :  i  ;  6  :  8  ;  12  :  11) ;  so  that  these  sermons 
49 


Hosea  i :  2  Messages  of  the 

were  delivered  between  the  years  740  and  734  B.  C, 
probably  during  the  profligate,  degenerate  reign  of 
Menahem.  The  other  tragedy,  which  darkened  Hosea' s 
life,  and  which  laid  bare  the  very  depths  of  his  soul,  is 
alluded  to  in  his  earlier  sermons,  and  can  best  be  pre- 
sented as  he  hesitatingly  tells  his  own  sad  story. 


II 

EARLIER  SERMONS  DELIVERED  BETWEEN 
750  AND  740  B.C. 

I.  The  Private  Experiences  of  the  Prophet  (1:2,  3a; 
3:1-3;  cf.  2  :  2-23) 

Hosea's  You  are  all    familiar,   fellow-Israelites,   with  my  sad 

Gomer  personal  experience.  As  I  look  back  upon  those  hope- 
I  •  ^'  3^)  f^^  (j^yg  Qf  j^y  youth  when  I  wedded  Gomer,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Diblaim,  I  can  see  that  all  the  pain  and  agony 
which  have  followed  in  the  train  of  that  act  have  not 
been  without  their  compensations.  I  felt  that  the  same 
Jehovah  guided  me  then  who  ha's  guided  me  since  in  my 
work  as  a  prophet  True,  I  had  no  absolute  assurance 
that  she  whom  I  wedded  would  prove  more  faithful  than 
many  of  her  sisters  who,  under  the  corrupt  influences  of 
this  age,  have  sinned  so  grossly  ;  but  the  love  which  J 
50 


Earlier  Prophets  Hosea  3  :  3 

gave   her  was  strong  and  pure,   and  1  trusted  that  she 
would  return  it. 

You  all  know  how  bitterly  I  was  deceived,  and  yet  you  His  at- 

tempts  to 

can  never  know  the  agony  I  endured  when  I  discovered  reclaim  his 
the  evidence  of  her  faithlessness.  If  I  had  loved  her  less,  Xl^^i-i)-  ^ 
I  should  have  simply  divorced  her  as  our  customs  per- 
mit Weak,  false  though  she  was,  I  could  not  forget  the 
solemn  covenant  into  which  we  had  entered,  and  aban- 
don her  to  her  fate;  and  so  I  forgave  and  overlooked  her 
gross  infidelity,  and  tried  by  greater  tenderness  and  acts 
of  love  to  woo  her  back  to  the  path  of  rectitude.  Alas  ! 
bitterly  was  I  disappointed  in  my  endeavor.  In  her 
folly  and  perversity  she  spurned  my  love  and  fled  from 
my  home  to  live  a  life  of  infamy.  Undoubtedly,  many 
would  then  have  only  tried  to  forget  her,  but  I  could  not 
because  of  my  great  love.  When  I  heard  that  she  had 
fallen  so  low  that  she  had  been  put  up  for  sale  as  a  slave, 
I  ransomed  her.  Kindness  having  failed,  the  love  within 
my  heart  commanded  me,  as  a  last  means,  to  strive  by 
discipline  to  lead  her  to  true  repentance. 

You  all  know  the  result.      Painful,   yes,    tragic,    has  The  lessons 

■'  °  which  his 

been  my  experience,  and  you  doubtless  feel  for  me  only  tragic  ex- 
perience 
pity,   if  not  contempt,   because   you    think  that  I  have  taught  him 

squandered  my  affection  upon  such  an  unworthy  object      •  ^^-^  23 

Pity  I  certainly  deserve,  and  yet  in  this  trying  school  of 

affliction  I  have  learned  lessons  which  have  made  me 

51 


Hosea  3  :  3  Messages  of  the 

-^ 

the  prophet  that  I  am.  Now  I  realize  the  anguish  which 
the  sin  of  a  dear  one  brings  to  the  heart  which  loves  ; 
now  I  understand  how  the  flame  of  true  love  can  burn 
clear  and  strong  even  though  the  object  of  that  affection 
stumble  and  fall ;  now  I  perceive  clearly  that  judgment 
is  but  an  expression  of  love,  for  ofttimes  chastisement  is 
the  only  method  of  reclaiming  the  fallen  ;  now  I  know 
how  eager,  yes,  willing,  is  a  loving  heart  to  forgive  all 
the  bitter  wrongs  which  it  has  received  from  the  one 
beloved,  when  once  that  sinner  gives  evidence  of  true 
contrition.  If  you  would  understand  my  message,  re- 
call the  personal  experiences  of  the  man  who  utters  it. 

2.  Living  Sermons  (i  :  3^-9) 
Significance      When  Gomcr  brought  to  me  her  first-born  son,  I  gave 

of  the  name  ,  _ 

Jezreei,  him  no  swcct,  pleasing  name  like  my  own,^  but,  sent  as 
^ "  ^  ^  I  was  by  Jehovah  to  preach  to  my  nation,  I  called  him 
Jezreei.  Naturally,  the  people,  filled  with  curiosity,  in- 
quired why  I  associated  with  an  innocent  baby  the  name 
of  Israel' s  blood-stained  battle-field.  Thereupon  I  de- 
clared to  them  the  truth,  as  it  had  been  revealed  to  me  : 
«« The  day  will  quickly  come  when  Jehovah  will  punish 
the  reigning  house  of  Israel  for  the  bloody  crime  whereby 
its  founder  Jehu  secured  the  throne,  slaying  his  royal 

1  Hoshea,  the  same  as  Joshilft  or  Jesus,  meaning  "salvation." 
52 


Earlier  PropJiets  Hosea  2 :  2 

master  on  that  plain  of  Jezreel.  On  the  same  historic 
battle-field  shall  be  broken  the  strength  of  the  northern 
kingdom." 

When  my  faithless  wife  again  bore  a  child,  this  time  a  Significance 

•'  111°'  ^"^  name 

daughter,  the  anguish  aroused  in  my  heart  by  the  knowl-  Lo-ruhamah 
edge  of  her  infidelity  led  me  more  perfectly  to  appreciate 
the  divine  indignation  kindled  by  Israel's  persistent 
apostasy.  Accordingly  I  gathered  up  that  new  reve- 
lation in  the  one  word,  ' '  Lo-ruhamah, "  —  "  unpitied, '  *  — 
and  gave  it  to  the  little  girl,  thus  making  her  likewise  a 
living  prophecy  to  be  read  by  all  men  at  all  times.  By 
this  name  I  proclaimed  that  ' '  No  longer,  O  house  of 
Israel,  will  Jehovah  pity  and  pardon  you  as  he  has  done 
in  the  past." 

To  the  youngest  boy  also  I  gave   the   name  "  Lo- Sj^^cance 
ammi,"  whose  meaning,  "not  my  people,"  was  so  un- Lo-ammi 
equivocal  that  even  the  most  obtuse  could  not  fail  to 
perceive  that  it  was  a  declaration  that  Jehovah  had  com- 
pletely repudiated  the  close  covenant  relations  between 
the  nation  Israel  and  himself. 

3.   The  Relationship  between  Jehovah  and  Israel  in 
Retrospect  and  Prospect  (2  :  2-23) 

Indeed,  almost  too  terrible  to  be  credible  are  the  grim 
predictions  contained  in  the  names  Jezreel,  Lo-ruhamah, 
and  Lo-ammi  ;  and  yet  while  the  nation  Israel  persists 

53 


Hosea  2  :  2  Messages  of  the 

Jehovah's  in  its  apostasy  no  other  relationship  between  her  and 
israe/sin-  Jchovah  than  that  which  they  suggest  is  possible. 
(2!  2-5).  Therefore  I  implore  you,  O  fellow-citizens,  in  the  name 
of  God,  spare  no  effort  whereby  you  may,  perchance,  in- 
fluence this  nation,  our  common  mother,  to  turn  from 
her  gross  crimes,  and  from  her  apostasy,  before  she  for- 
feits forever  the  possibility  of  divine  forgiveness.  As  I 
was  wedded  to  my  wife  Gomer,  so  Jehovah,  at  the  begin- 
ning of  Israel' s  national  life,  chose  and  entered  into  a 
solemn  covenant  relation  with  Israel.  On  the  one  hand, 
Jehovah  covenanted  to  love  and  care  for  his  people, 
while  the  nation,  on  the  other,  agreed  faithfully  to  serve 
and  obey  him.  How  has  that  solemn  contract  been  kept  ? 
You  well  know  that,  even  as  I  heaped  upon  my  wife 
all  the  blessings  a  loving  heart  could  suggest,  so  Jehovah 
has  been  absolutely  true  to  his  obligations,  delivering 
Israel  from  innumerable  perils,  and  bestowing  upon  her 
freely  the  wealth  of  his  infinite  love.  And  this  nation  ? 
Gomer  is  its  true  type  ;  for  as  soon  as  Israel  became 
established  in  Palestine  she  began  to  forget  Jehovah  and 
to  pay  homage  to  the  Canaanitish  Baal.  In  her  folly 
she  thought  that  the  heathen  God  of  fertility  would 
reward  her  infidelity  by  blessing  her  fields  and  flocks. 
Thus  like  the  most  shameless  wanton  she  sold  herself 
for  hire,  sinning  and  sinning  again,  until  Jehovah  recog- 
nized, as  did  I  in  the  case  of  my  wife,  that  favors  would 
54 


Earlier  Prophets  Hosea  2:17 

not  turn  the  erring  one  from  the  path  of  guilt.     Eternal 

love  must  therefore,  in  the  light  of  the  circumstances, 

find  a  higher  expression  in  discipline. 

By   painful   experience   the   wilful    nation   must    be  Israel  must 
^    ^  ^  ,  be  disci- 

made  to  see  the  utter  folly  and  wickedness  of  her  course,  piined 

Therefore  Jehovah  declares  that  not  mercy,  but  judg- 
ment, impends.  When  her  lands  and  vineyards  are  laid 
waste,  then  shall  Israel  realize  who  was  the  real  source 
of  her  prosperity.  Through  hard  adversity  shall  she 
learn  that  she  has  sold  herself  to  Baal  for  worse  than 
naught.  Upon  her  head  shall  be  visited  the  consequen- 
ces of  her  dallying  with  this  corrupt  heathen  religion. 

Jehovah,  however,  will  not  punish  Israel  merely  be-  The  disci- 

.       ,  ,       ,  -  ,        pline  in- 

cause  she  deserves  it,  but  as  the  last  means  of  arousmg  tended  to 
true  contrition.     When  once  that  end  is  attained,  hefrUkm^°°' 
will  speak  to  her  heart  with  infinite  tenderness.     During  ^^  *  "^^'^Tf 
her  period  of  national  affliction  new  hopes  shall  be  kin- 
dled, for  she  shall  come  back  into  the  old  relationship 
with  Jehovah,   which    characterized   those   earlier   and 
simpler  days,  when  he  delivered  her  from  the  bondage 
of  Egypt.     The  names  of  the  heathen  gods  upon  whom 
she  now  calls  shall  be  forgotten.     Not  even  shall  she 
address  Jehovah  as   "Ba'ali,"  my  master,  but  by  the 
nobler  and  much  more  intimate  name  of  "Ishi,"  my 
husband ;  for  he  will  renew,  on  the  basis  of  mutual  fidel- 
ity and  love,  the  old  covenant,  comparable  in  its  close- 
55 


Hosea  2:17  Messages  of^  the 

ness  and  reciprocal  obligations  only  to  that  which  exists 
between  husband  and  wife. 
The  recon-        Penitent,  forgiven  Israel  shall  then  faithfully  do  the 

ciliation  and  -  ^r^^       ^         •"        •     n  /-    i  •     • 

glorious       Will  of  Jehovah.     The  benign  influence  of  this  harmoni- 

which  shall   ous  relationship  between  God  and  his  chosen  people  wiU 

raerrrepent-  extend  to  all  the  animal  world.     In  that  distant  day,  when 

?r"i8-23)     ^^^  divine  will  is  done  on  earth,  war  and  strife  between 

Jehovah's  creatures  will  cease,  and  peace  shall  reign. 

Moreover,  the  Eternal  will  gladly  give  command  to  the 

heavens,  and  they  will  send  down  the  refreshing  rains 

upon  the  earth,  which  in  turn  will  put  forth  its  fruits  in 

richest   abundance   for   the  beloved  people.     Then,  O 

Israelites,  the  name  Jezreel,  which  to-day  is  a  reminder  of 

impending  retribution,  true  to  the  meaning  of  the  word, 

will  well  describe  that  nation  ' '  whom  Jehovah  has  sown. ' ' 

Israel  now  designated  as  "Lo-ruhamah"  shall  be  called 

"the  one  who  has  obtained  mercy,  and  they,  who  were 

rejected;  shall  be  addressed  by-Jehovah  as  •*  my  people.'* 

4.  Predictio7is  respecting  Israel  s  Immediate  and 
Distant  Future   (3:4,  5  ;  i  :  10  to  2  :  i) 

Inthe^ab-         jf  is  clear,  O  fellow-Israelites  !  that  you  eagerly  long  to 

sence  of  true  _  _  J  b       ]  b 

contrition     see  that  glorious  day,  with  its  peace  and  prosperity  of 

certain         which  you  havc  heard  me  speak.      Know  that  Jehovah 

^^■'*^'         is  eager  to  institute  it  at  once   and  that  whether  it  is 

realized  now  or  in  some  distant  time  depends  entirely 

56 


Earlier  Prophets  Hosea  4 :  i 

upon  your  own  action.  But  as  I  behold  with  enlight- 
ened eyesight  your  defiant  attitude,  and  how  deep  seated 
are  your  sins,  I  predict  that  certain  captivity  awaits  you. 
For  a  long  time  you  shall  be  deprived  both  of  political 
organization  and  religious  services. 

[In  the  distant  future,  after  captivity  has  done  its  pre-  An  ultimate 

restoration 

paratory   work,    the   Israelites   shall   return    repentant,  is  also 
craving  forgiveness,    and  eager  to   serve  Jehovah,    and  (3^5!  i :  w 
submit  to  the  rule  of  the  Davidic  king.    Then  shall  their  *°  ^'  '^* 
numbers  become  as  the  sands  of  the  sea,  innumerable  ; 
Jehovah's  decree  of  rejection  will  be  revoked,  and  they 
shall  again  be  known  as  "the  sons  of  the  living  God." 
From   the   lands   of  their  captivity  the  Israelites   and 
Judeans  shall  be  gathered  to  Canaan,  and  at  last,  again 
united,  will  elect  over  them  one  head.     Then  shall  all 
animosity  disappear  before  the  common  joy  of  restora- 
tion, of  forgiveness,  and  of  reconciliation  with  Jehovah.  J 

III 

LATER  SERMONS  DELIVERED  BETWEEN 
740  AND  734  B.C. 

I.  Jehovah' s  Stern  Arraignment  and  Condemnation  of 
Israel  and  Israel  s  Leaders  (4 :  i  to  5  :  14) 

Give  heed,  O  Israelites,   to  the  awful  charge  which 
Jehovah,   as  the  plaintiff,   brings  against  your  nation. 
57 


Hosea  4  :  i  Messages  of  the 

General       Whereas  he  had  every  reason  to  expect  the  fruits  of 

charge 

against  the   fidelity  and  love,  and  the  evidence  of  a  true  knowledge 
X\Ttz).       of  him,    he  finds  none   of  these;    but  false  swearing, 

murder,   theft,    and   adultery,    characterize   the  people. 

Lawless  deeds  of  bloodshed  follow  each  other  in  rapid 

succession.     As  a  result,  the  very  land  itself  is  going  to 

ruin,  and  its  inhabitants  are  perishing. 
The  masses       Not  the  common  people,  however,  but  their  leaders, 

misled  by 

their  re-        are  to  blame  for  this  shameful  state  of  affairs.^     The 

lead"r^s         Ordinary  citizens  cannot  be  expected  to  be  better  than 

(4 : 4-6a).      thgjj.  priests  and  prophets  who  have  themselves  fallen 

into  such  heinous  crimes.     Through  ignorance  of  the 

real   character   and   demands   of  the  God  whom  they 

blindly  worship,  the  masses  are  perishing. 

Condemna-       Q  vou  faithless  priests  who,  instead  of  teaching  them, 

tion  of  the  •' 

corrupt  have  turned  your  back  upon  the  law,  the  sacred  treasure 
(^jTeb-^o).  entrusted  to  your  keeping,  Jehovah  declares  that  he  has 
revoked  your  commission  !  Traitors,  you  have  perverted 
your  high  office  ;  you  have  grown  fat  on  the  sin  offerings 
of  the  people  ;  you  have  encouraged  them  in  their 
crimes.  Little  wonder  that  they  are  so  corrupt.  The 
penalty  of  their  guilt  shall  be  upon  their  own  heads. 
Having  given  free  rein  to  greed  and  lust,  their  appetite 

1  Accepting  the  emendation  demanded  by  the  sense  "  my  people  are  but 
as  their  priestlings."     Cf.  G.  A.  Smith,  •*  The  Twelve  Prophets,"  I,  25/. 

58 


Earlier  Prophets  Hosea  4  :  19 

shall  become  an  insatiable  master  ;  childlessness  shall 
be  their  lot 

Immorality  and  intemperance  always  dim  the  intellect,  I'he  gross 

immorality 

as  is  clearly  illustrated  by  the  way  in  which  this  people,  of  the  masses 
instead  of  seeking  Jehovah,  consult  the  inanimate  sym-  "*  •  "  ^^  ■ 
bols  of  the  Baal  cult.  That  corrupt  religion,  which 
gives  free  license  to  the  passions,  has  led  them  far  astray 
from  the  true  God.  In  connection  with  the  rites  of 
Baal,  the  men  have  committed  abominable  excesses. 
In  the  light  of  such  an  example,  Jehovah  cannot  hold 
their  daughters  culpable,  even  though  they  have  shame- 
lessly bartered  their  chastity.  Thus  this  stupid  people 
are  rapidly  rushing  on  to  their  ruin.  [Although  the 
Israelites  are  so  corrupt,  let  the  Judeans  avoid  the 
temptation  and  shun  the  northern  sanctuaries,  with  their 
debasing  customs.] 

How  can   Jehovah  exercise  his   tender  care  toward  Hopeless- 
ness of  try- 
Israel,  as  he  fain  would,  when  the  nation  manifests  such  ing  to  save 

a  rebellious,  defiant  spirit  ?  These  northerners  have  so  kingdom 
completely  transferred  their  devotion  to  idols  that  there  ^*' '  ^^'^^'' 
is  little  hope  of  saving  them.  No  sooner  are  they 
through  with  one  form  of  dissipation  than  they  turn  to 
another,  while  their  rulers  exult  in  their  shame.  Yea, 
and  already  they  are  in  the  power  of  the  Assyrian  tem- 
pest which  shall  rudely  awaken  them  to  a  sense  of  their 
heinous  apostasy. 

59 


Hosea  5  :  I  Messages  of  the 

Personal  Hear,  O  pricsts  and  princes  of  Israel!  your  condemna- 

orthf  p5es"ts  tion.     You,  who  should  be  the  shepherds  of  this  people, 
(5  ^  T-'^Y^  for  the  sake  of  your  own  profit  have  lured  them  on  to 
their  ruin  by  encouraging  them  in  the  lewd  practices, 
which  are  observed  in  connection  with  such  sanctuaries 
as  Mizpah  and  Tabor.     The  gross  crime  of  this  nation 
has  made  return  to  Jehovah  impossible,  for  they  are  but 
the  expression  of  the  low  state  of  morality  which  prevails, 
and  which  indicates   that  the  people   possess   no   real 
knowledge  of  Jehovah' s  character  and  demands.      Israel 
and   Judah  both   shall  fall   under   their  load  of  guilt. 
Vainly  do  they  outwardly  worship  him  with  their  cere- 
monial offerings,  while  their  deeds  reveal  only  treachery. 
Prediction         Any  month  the  foreign  invader  may  swoop  down  upon 
desmTctfon  you.      Already,    in  imagination,    I   can  hear  the  dread 
Jhrcrime°s^    alarm  announcing  his  approach.     From  the  heights  let 
m^istakS  of'  the  trumpet  blast  resound,  calling  the  people  to  the  de- 
israei's        fense  of  their  homes.      Vain,   however,  shall  be  their 

rulers 

(s  :  7^-m)-  efforts,  for  the  overthrow  of  the  northern  kmgdom  is  de- 
termined. Jehovah  will  execute  dire  vengeance  upon 
these  despicable  cheats,  who  rule  over  this  wilful  and 
foolish  nation,  oppressing  their  subjects  and  perverting 
judgment.  Indeed,  he  has  already  begun  to  destroy 
from  within  both  the  kingdoms  of  the  north  and  of  the 
south.  The  short-sighted  politicians  of  Israel,  recog- 
nizing the  internal  weakness  of  their  state,  have  sent  their 
60 


Earlier  Prophets  Hosea  6  :  4 

ambassadors  to  the  land  of  the  Tigris  in  the  wild  hope 
of  gaining  health  and  healing  from  that  beast  of  prey, 
the  Assyrian  king.  Bitterly  shall  they  be  disappointed. 
Jehovah  himself  will  pitilessly  complete  the  judgment 
upon  Israel  and  Judah  which  he  has  begun,  and  no 
human  power  can  hinder  him. 

2.   The  Fitful  Repentance  of  the  Israelites  Belied  by 
their  Hideous  Crimes   (5  :  15  to  7  :  16) 

As  Jehovah  has  so  often  declared  by  his  prophets,  the  True  repent- 

.  ance  alone 

one  hope  of  deliverance  is  through  repentance.      Until  will  save 
he  sees  evidence  of  genuine  contrition  he  will  leave  the  ^ ' 
Israelites  to  their  fate. 

Let  the  people  not  deceive  themselves  by  thinking  Their  words 
that  all  that  is  necessary  is  merely  to  come  to  Jehovah  spoken,  not 
with  the  formulas  of  repentance  upon  their  lips,  and  that  ^e':  r-4)! 
he  will  forthwith  avert  his  judgment  and  cure  all  their 
ills.     The  spirit  of  their  prayers  reflects  a  fundamental 
ignorance,  both  of  the  nature  of  repentance  and  of  the 
character  of  Jehovah.     The  Eternal  himself  is  perplexed 
to  know  what  to  make  of  a  people  like  these  ;  for  their 
love,  which  he  craves,  and  which  is  the  only  basis  for 
sincere  contrition,  is  like  the  morning  mist,  which  is 
quickly  dissipated  by  the  rising  sun. 

And  yet  there  is  no  excuse  for  their  ignorance  of  Jeho- 
vah' s  demands,  for  he  has  taught  them  his  will  forcibly 
6i 


Hosea  6  :  5  Messages  of  the 

The  true       and  oftcn  by  the  mouth  of  his  prophets,  and  by  his  un- 
rJpenunce    mistakable  judgments,  impressing  upon  them  the  eternal 
mon^ai  offer-  truth  that  what  he  pre-eminently  desires  is  not  merely 
S°|s^rv\cr"  foi^nial   service,   but,   glowing  within   their  hearts   and 
(6 : 5»  6)-      prompting  each  action,   a  warm  love  for  him  and  for 
their  fellow-men.     It  is  far  more  pleasing  to  him  that 
they  become  acquainted  with  his  will  and  character  than 
that  they  conform  in  the  minutest  details  to  the  dictates 
of  the  ceremonial  law. 
The  horrible      But  when  Jehovah  looks  for  the  fruits  of  love,  what 
committed ^ does   he   find?      Forgetting   their   peculiar   relation   to 
evin^ceno     Jehovah,   like   any  heathen  nation,    they  have   broken 
conVu^Sn  ^  their  solemn  covenant  and  betrayed  him.    Go  into  any  of 
(6:7107:2),  j-j^eij-  cities, — as,  for  example,  Gilead, — and  you  may  see 
the  bloody  footprints  of  the  murderer.     Assassins  lie  in 
wait  for  their  victims  ;  and,  greater  horror  still  !  on  the 
road  to  Shechem  a  band  of  priests  are  carrying  on  organ- 
ized highway  robbery.      A  gross  licentiousness  also  is 
corrupting  all  the  people  of  Israel.     Thus,  when  Jeho- 
vah would  fain  heal  the  ills  of  this  northern  kingdom, 
their  crimes  of  treachery  and  robbery  cry  to  heaven  for 
vengeance  rather  than  for  mercy.      He,  who  sees  all, 
cannot  overlook  them. 
Corruption        Note  also  the  wickedness  and  the  treachery  which  is 

of  the  court  ^ 

(7  :  3-7)-       openly  countenanced  in  the  court.     A  consuming  pas- 
sion inflames  all.      You  are,    alas  !    familiar  with    the 
62 


Earlier  Prophets  Hosea  7  :  i6 

sickening  picture  of  the  king,  shamelessly  holding  court 
attended  by  drunken,  unscrupulous  cut-throats,  waiting 
only  for  a  favorable  opportunity  to  murder  their  royal 
master,  who  himself  had  mounted  the  throne  by  the  use 
of  the  assassin' s  knife.  In  all  this  unholy  crew  no  one 
has  cried  earnestly  to  Jehovah. 

Thus  the  nation  under  their  blind  guidance,   at  the  Evidences 

.  .      ,  .     ,  1  .    ,     •     ■,  ,    .  of  Israel's 

present  critical  period  upon  which  it  has  entered,  is  con-  decay 
stantly  aping  the  heathen  states  about,  and  trying  to  save  ' 
itself  by  foolish  and  entangling  alliances.  The  result  is 
that  it  is  indeed  a  cake  unturned.  With  its  nobles  at 
the  head  of  its  social  organization  corrupt  and  oppressive, 
the  masses  beneath  defrauded  and  'wronged,  its  religion 
outwardly  dead  ceremonialism,  inwardly  rotten,  its 
political  policy  characterized  by  a  long  series  of  blun- 
ders, its  condition,  indeed,  is  pitiable.  In  its  foreign  rela- 
tions, although  not  knowing  it,  Israel  has  been  the  loser. 
Already  the  signs  of  premature  decay  have  begun  to  ap- 
pear. Instead,  however,  of  turning  to  Jehovah  for  help  in 
the  time  of  need,  these  foolish  Israelites,  like  a  silly  dove, 
without  any  consistent  political  policy,  seek  disgraceful 
alliances,  first  with  Egypt  and  then  with  their  arch-enemy, 
Assyria.  Jehovah' s  judgment  shall  surely  overtake  them, 
for  their  conduct  represents  open  rebellion  against  him. 
He  would,  it  is  true,  have  gladly  delivered  them,  had  not 
they  proved  traitors  in  all  their  conduct     Not  one  cry  of 

63 


Hosea  7  :  14  Messages ^of  the 

genuine  contrition  has  escaped  their  lips.  Only  when 
famine  stares  them  in  the  face  do  they  look  upward, 
and  then  it  is  to  howl  for  food  with  which  to  sate  their 
sensual  appetites.  Alas  !  no  dependence  is  to  be  put 
upon  them.  For  their  insolence  their  rulers  shall  fall 
by  the  sword,  while  the  Egyptians,  their  allies,  in  whom 
they  trust  so  much,  will  only  jeer  at  their  misfortune. 

3.   IsraeV  $  Retribution  Well  Merited,  Overwhelming^ 
and  Imminent  (^  :  i  to  10  :  15) 

^c?id^their      ^low  a  blast  of  warning,  for  the  enemy,  like  an  eagle, 
opportuni-    jg  even  now  swooping  down  upon  the  land.     The  im- 

ties  to  save  .        . 

themselves,  pending  Calamity  is  no  mere  chance.     It  comes  because 

ites  shall      the  inhabitants  have  broken  their  covenant  with  Jehovah 

the  woes°of  and  rejected  his  commands.     Vainly  do  they  claim  that 

(8°^-3)?      t^^y  stand  in  a  peculiarly  close  relation  to  him.     When 

they  had  the  opportunity  to  win  his  favor,  they  spurned 

him  who  would  have  saved  them  in  this  time  of  need. 

Therefore  retribution  alone  awaits  them. 

fidll^ldn's        Following  their  own  rebellious  course,  they  have  raised 

and  idols  no  puppets  to  the  throne  and  called  them  kings,  but  without 

defense  r    r  sr  -    ,     .       . 

(8:4-7).  the  divine  sanction.  In  the  same  way,  out  of  their  silver 
and  gold  they  have  manufactured  idols  to  be  torn  down, 
even  as  have  been  their  artificial  kings.  Do  you,  who 
worship  Jehovah  under  the  symbolism  of  a  calf,  know 
that  you  only  arouse  his  indignation  ?  Oh  1  when  will 
64 


Earlier  Prophets  Hosea  8:12 

your  minds  be  freed  from  the  thraldom  of  these  degrad- 
ing superstitions  inherited  from  the  less  enlightened  past  ? 
The  calf  of  Samaria  is,  like  the  pagan  idols,  a  creation  of 
man' s  hands.  There  is  nothing  divine  about  it  Like 
all  things  human,  it  shall  be  broken  in  fragments  in  the 
general  destruction  which  is  about  to  sweep  over  Israel. 
Dire  shall  be  the  consequence  of  long  years  of  folly. 
Completely  shall  the  territory  be  devastated,  for  the  grain 
which  escapes  the  blight  shall  the  invader  consume. 

The  absorption  of  the  northern  kingdom  by  foreign  Evidence  of 

,  ,  ,        ,  _  .  ,       Israel's  ap- 

powers  has  already  begun.  Its  prestige  among  the  preaching 
nations  is  gone.  Blind  to  all  reason,  it  has  rushed  into  (s'.^s^-io). 
the  hands  of  the  Assyrians  and  sought  to  strengthen  its 
weak  position  by  foreign  alliances,  purchased  with  heavy 
gifts.  Vain  is  their  attempt  to  escape  Jehovah' s  judg- 
ment and  to  avert  the  national  captivity  which  awaits 
them.* 

Do  the  Israelites  urge  that  they  are  serving  Jehovah  The  service 

^     .  ^  *'  **  at  their  al- 

with  rich  offerings  at  their  many  altars  ?     Those  services  tars  arouses 
are  made  merely  the  occasion  for  feasting  by  the  altars,  indignation 
while  in  the  sight  of  God  they  are  but  excuses  for  further  hts  mercy*" 
sin.     Were  Jehovah  to  express   his  will   in   the   most  ^^  *  ^^*^'*)- 
detailed  law  they  would  be  utterly  ignored  by  this  peo- 

1  Following  the  Septuagint,  which  reads  "  that  they  may  cease  for  a  little 
from  anointing  a  king,"  where  the  Hebrew  has  "  they  shall  involve  them- 
selves with  tribute  to  the  king  of  princes." 

6s 


Hosea  8:13  Messages  of  the 

pie,  who  seek  only  their  own  pleasure.     Their  offerings, 
therefore,   far  from  turning  aside  his  indignation,  only 
intensify  the  reasons  why  he  must  visit  upon  them  the 
most  severe  punishment,  even  exile. 
The  effects        Let  not  the  Israelites  celebrate  their  harvest  feasts  with 

of  the  com- 
ing exile       the  same  wild  exuberance  as  do  their  heathen  neigh- 
social  and    bors  ;  for  every  acclamation  of  thanksgiving  to  Baal,  the 
(9  :^i-°6).^  '  ^  Canaanitish  god  of  plenty,  which  rises  from  Hebrew  lips, 
is  prompted  by  the  basest  of  motives,  and  represents 
gross  apostasy  from  Jehovah.     The  present  is  no  time 
for  rejoicing,  for  they  are  on  the  point  of  being  driven 
into  exile.     What  will  all  this  newly  gathered  grain  and 
wine  mean  to  them  when  they  are  carried  away  into  cap- 
tivity, and  forced  to  eat  the  unclean  food,  which  is  all  the 
heathen  lands  afford  ?     Then  shall  their  feasts  and  cere- 
monial worship  be  impossible.     Far  from  the  temple  of 
Jehovah,  no  more  shall  they  partake  of  the  meat  sacri- 
ficed to  their  God.     All  sense  of  communion  with  him 
shall  be  but  a  memory  of  the  past,  and  what  they  eat 
shall  be  eaten  in   sorrow,   and   merely  to  supply  their 
animal  needs.      In  Assyria  or  among  the  ancient  tombs 
of  Egypt  shall  they  find  unhallowed  graves,  while  their 
beloved  land  lies  desolate. 
Signs  of  the       Already  the  Israelites  are  beginning  to  reap  the  con- 

approaching  '  «  ^^  x 

dissolution    sequcnces  of  their  sins.      Into  such  excesses  have  they 
^  "  ^"^ '        fallen  that  their  prophets  have  gone  mad,  so  that  they 

66 


Earlier  Prophets  Hosea  9:12 

utter  no  clear  message,  but  only  the  incoherent  mutter- 
ing of  frenzy.  The  true  watchman  of  Ephraim,  like 
myself,  is  guarded  by  his  God,  and  is  ever  laying  bare 
the  faults  of  this  people,*  whom  even  the  sanctity  of  the 
temple  dpes  not  deter  from  base  acts  of  treachery.  Re- 
volting deeds  of  lust,  such  as  shocked  even  the  imper- 
fectly developed  moral  consciousness  of  the  age  of  the 
judges,  are  common  occurrences.^  These  crimes  shall 
bring  their  own  punishment. 

In   sad    contrast   with    their   present   fruits   was   the  Magnificent 

-     ,  ,.1  -1  -11  1  possibilities 

promise  of  those  earlier  days  in  the  wilderness  when  prodigally 
Jehovah  chose  the  people  to  be  his  own.     But  from  the  thro^ugh^^ 
moment  that  they  came  into  contact  with  the  debasing  d"uigenJe' 
civilization  of  Canaan  they  yielded  to  the  temptation.  (9  :  10-17). 
That  process  of  moral  deterioration  has  gone  on  until  the 
once   virile   nation   has    completely  lost   its   character. 
Sadder  still,  sinful  indulgence  of  lust  has  rendered  barren 
the  sacred  organs  of  generation.     Even  should  children 

iThis  contrast  between  the  members  of  the  degraded  prophetic  guilds 
and  the  true  prophets  was  frequently  drawn.  Compare,  for  example, 
Micah  3 :  5-8.  The  passage  is  so  elliptical  that  the  exact  meaning  is 
obscure.  The  literal  translation  of  the  Hebrew  seems  to  be,  "  Ephraim's 
watchman  is  with  my  God;  a  prophet  is  a  fowler's  snare  upon  all  his 
(Ephraim's)  ways."  The  readings  of  the  A.  V.  and  R.  V.  are  familiar. 
For  still  another  parallel  translation,  which,  however,  does  not  appear  to 
•uit  the  context  as  well,  compare  Smith,  "The  Book  of  the  Twelve 
Prophets,"  I,  280. 

2  Cf.  Judges  19  :  22-30 
67 


Hosea  9:12  Messages  of  the 

be  born,  they  shall  grow  up  only  to  meet  death  by  the 
sword  of  the  conqueror.  Northern  Israelite  though  I 
am,  I  cannot  pray  for  anything  but  retributive  judg- 
ment Jehovah  will  not  be  slow  in  answering  my 
prayer,  for  all  his  love  is  transformed  by  their  misdeeds 
into  loathing  and  indignation.  Lawless,  disobedient 
vagabonds  that  they  are,  he  will  drive  them  forth  to  find 
a  home  where  they  may  among  the  nations. 
The  hollow       Richly  blessed  with   natural   gifts  was   the  land   of 

insincerity  ^ 

at  the  bot-    Israel  ;  but  its  very  fertility  became  a  stumbling-block  to 
raei's  re-       its  inhabitants,  leading  them  to  fix  their  attention  upon 
poiitkaUife  material  things,  and  causing  them  to  express  their  re- 
(10 : 1-4).      ligious  faith  in  the  heathen  symbolism  of  the  Canaanites 
whom  they  found  in  the  land.     The  fundamental  error 
in  Israel' s  religion  is  the  lack  of  sincerity.    Jehovah  can 
do  nothing  but  show  his  disapproval  of  it  all  by  over- 
turning their   altars   and   pillars.      Already   this  fickle 
people,  who  have  no  real  faith  in  their  God,   are  also 
beginning  to  lose  their  faith  in  the  king  whom  they  have 
set  up.     Therefore  the  keystone  of  their  political  as  well 
as  their  religious  organization  is  crumbling.     As  a  re- 
sult, public  and  private  honor  is  wanting,  every  one  is 
trying  to  cheat  his  neighbor,  and  consequently  the  courts 
are  filled  with  lawsuits. 

Far  from  saving  them  in  the  time  of  their  nation's 
danger,  the  calf  set  up  by  Jeroboam  I  at  that  house  of 
68 


Earlier  Prophets  Hosea  xo :  12 

impiety,  Bethel,,  shall  be  a  source  of  keenest  anxiety  to  The  impend- 
the  people  of  the  district  of  Samaria,  and  to  the  degraded  thfo*^o7the 
priests  of  this  steer-god,  lest  the  prestige  which  it  hasflgion^^  ^^ 
enjoyed  be  lost     Well  do  they  tremble.     To  Assyria' s  ^^°  •  ^"^^' 
warlike  monarch  shall   it  be  sent,   that  the  gold,  .with 
which  it  is  laden,   may  swell  the  heavy  tribute,   while 
Israel' s  puppet  king  shall  float  helplessly,  like  driftwood, 
on  the  flood  which  is  about  to  overflow  the  land.     The 
same  wars  of  invasion  shall  destroy  the  idolatrous  shrines 
which  have  been  the  centers  of  Israel's  apostasy,  and 
their  altars  shall  lie  utterly  desolate.     Then  shall   the 
people  long  for  death  to  deliver  them  from  their  shame 
and  woe. 

Beginning  with  the   disgraceful   atrocity  at   Gibeah,  Whatsoever 
Israel' s  history  has  been  characterized  by  a  long  series  soweth  that 
of  crimes.     Worst  of  all,  there  has  been  no  moral  or  re-  reap 
ligious  progress.     Jehovah  can  do  nothing  with  such  a  ^^°  '  '^''^^' 
people  except  punish,  and  the  instrument  which  he  shall 
use  will  be  the  armies  of  the  nations.      Hitherto  he  has 
allowed  the  burdens  of  life  to  rest  easily  upon  the  Israel- 
ites.    Their  existence  has  been  one  round  of  festivals. 
True  development,  however,  comes  only  through  labor. 
Now  these  t\vo  kingdoms  shall  experience  the  harder 
side  of  life.     In  this  time  of  discipline,  O  fellow  He- 
brews, is  to  be  found  your  supreme  opportunity.      If  you 
faithfully  discharge  your  duties,   then  shall  you  enjoy 

69 


Hosea  lo:  12  Messages  of  the 

the  warmth  of  Jehovah' s  love,  instead  •£  being  smitten 
by  his  judgments.  By  efforts  and  persistence  develop 
your  religious  sensibilities,  which  have  been  allowed  so 
long  to  remain  latent.  There  is  yet  time  to  win  Jeho- 
vah' s  favor,  and  to  save  yourselves  from  your  impending 
fate.  Alas  there  is  great  need  of  a  change,  for  hitherto 
your  energies  have  been  directed  in  quite  different 
channels,  and  you  are  reaping  the  fruits  in  the  calamities 
which  are  falling  upon  you.  You  must  have  learned  to 
your  sorrow  the  folly  of  trusting  to  crooked  diplomacy 
and  military  equipment  to  save  you.  Soon  you  'Shall 
experience  the  shock  of  war,  and  your  fortified  cities 
shall  crumble  into  ruins,  as  did  Beth-arbee,  before  the 
army  of  the  conqueror.  Thus,  O  Israelites,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  eternal  laws  of  God,  your  nation,  with  its 
hypocritical  and  artificial  religion,  its  corrupt  priests 
and  prophets,  its  idolatrous  practices,  its  gross  immor- 
ality, its  hollow  insincerity,  and  its  puppet  kings,  shall 
go  down  to  ruin,  and  its  political  organization  shall  dis- 
appear like  a  mist  of  the  morning. 

4.  Jehovah^ s  Love  and  Hopes  for  Israel  (il  :  i-ii) 

Hear  Jehovah*  s  protestation  of  his  love  and  care  for 

Israel.     In  the  earliest  period  of  this  nation' s  existence, 

when  it  was  untrained  and  in  bondage,  my  heart  began 

to  go  out  toward  it  in  tender  love,  and  I  called  it  from 

70 


Earlier  Prophets  Hosea  1 1  •.  8 

the  thraldom  of  Egypt  to  freedom  and  to  sonship.    Alas  !  The  story  of 
the  more  clearly  I  made  my  will  known  by  my  prophets  tender  care 
to  these  ingrates,  the  more  they  failed  to  do  it.     Never- grrtefui"isl 
theless  I  did  not  lose  patience,  but,  as  a  father  teaches  Se'elrUer^ 
his  child  to  walk,  so  I  tenderly  guided  them  in  the  path  ^(^^l^^\,  \ 
of  duty  and  true  development     When  they  were  weary 
and  discouraged,  I  comforted  them,  although  they  were 
too    obtuse   to  realize   that   it  was   I  who  healed  their 
bruises  when  they  fell.      As  they  took  up  the  sterner 
duties  of  life  I  guided  them,  not  with  the  whip  and  lash, 
as  does  a  cruel  driver  his  yoke  of  toiling  oxen,  but  with 
words  of  encouragement  and  genuine  affection,  relieving 
them  as  far  as  possible  from    the  painful  strain,   and 
supplying  with  never-tiring  care  their  every  need. 

But  all  my  efforts  have  apparently  been  in  vain,  for  The  punish- 
they  show  no  signs  of  contrition  and  obedience.      Hence  Israel's  con- 
discipline  is  the  only  alternative.     Absorption  into  the  nSe  nlces- 
great  Assyrian  empire  shall  be  their  fate.      Instead  of  comrrst^to 
responding  to  the  calls  of  my  prophets,  their  whole  ten-  Jehovah's 
dency  is  away  from  me  and  from  doing  my  will.     There-  (^^  '•  5-7)» 
fore  nothing  remains  but  to  let   them   experience   the 
terrors  and  the  woes  of  war. 

And  yet,  O  people  of  my  choice,  how  can  I  leave  you  The  compas- 
to  your  fate,  richly  merited  though  it  is  ?     Must  I  destroy  figs^of  the^' 
your  cities,  as  I  did  those  of  the  plain  beside  the  Salt  In JJe^  ^^^'^ 
sea  ?     My  heart  revolts  at  the  thought     Compassion  for  ^"  '  ^"^°^' 
71 


Hosea  11:9  Messages  of  the 

you  fain  would  deter  me  from  doing  what  common  jus- 
tice prompts.  Divine  mercy  and  patience  as  far  exceeds 
the  human  as  infinity  exceeds  nothingness.  Instead, 
therefore,  of  coming  to  consume  you  entirely,  I  will 
continue,  even  though  I  must  burn  out  these  impure 
elements,  to  manifest  myself  to  you  as  the  one  ever  near 
and  ready  to  forgive  and  to  save. 
Promises  of  In  the  distant  future,  when  exile  has  done  its  work  of 
restoration  discipline,  then  shall  Jehovah  send  forth  a  loud  sum- 
mons, calUng  together  his  scattered  people,  and  they 
with  eagerness  shall  come  hurrying  back  from  the  dis- 
tant lands  where  they  have  found  a  refuge.  Then  will 
Jehovah  restore  them  to  their  land  and  home. 

5.  Israel  s  Base  Return  for  JehovaK  s  Loving  Care 
(II  :  12  to  12  :  14) 

Israel  has  Such  is  Jchovah'  s  feeling  and  purpose  toward  Israel, 
from  every    but  the  people  rcquitcd  his  mercy  and  love  with  decep- 

other  source  r       r  i  •  i 

than  the  true  tion  and  dcscrtion.  ^  They  have  preferred  to  play  with 
gestldb'ythe  fire  by  purchasing  cosdy  alliance,  first  with  Assyria,  and 
JheiraJT-"^  then  with  AssyriVs  enemy,  Egypt.  In  so  doing  they 
ffr°i2'^to^°^  have  not  only  involved  themselves  in  political  entangle- 
12:6).  ments,  but  have  also  committed  sins  against  Jehovah 

which  will  not  go  long  unavenged.      Their  folly  and 

1  Since  the  references  to  Judah  in  the  chapter  add  nothing  new  to  the 
prophecy,  and  interrupt  the  sequence  of  thought,  they  have  been  omitted 
in  the  paraphrase. 

72 


Earlier  Prophets  Hosea  12:11 

wickedness  is  all  the  greater  because  they  have  had 
before  them  the  familiar  example  of  their  honored 
ancestor  Jacob,  who,  beginning  at  his  birth,  ever  strug- 
gled to  secure  Jehovah's  blessing.  He  succeeded,  as 
you  know,  in  gaining  it  in  rich  measure.  O  Israelites, 
if  you  will  only  act  in  accord  with  the  simple  dictates  of 
love  and  of  justice,  and  earnestly  seek  to  win  Jehovah's 
favor,  you  likewise  may  yet  enjoy  his  spiritual  bless- 
ings. 

But  no,    the   one  ideal   of  the   Israelites   has  been Themer-^^ 


— ,  cenary  anus 

material  gain,  and  the  pursuit  of  it  has  degraded  them  and  ?o^p^^ 
to  a  level  with  these  cheating  Canaanites.     They  con-  rendered 
sider  that  they  have  attained  their  ideal,  and  in  their  impervious 


moral 


blind  folly  think  that  they  have  suffered  no  spiritual  loss,  ^^^f/^^^ 
Mistaken  fools  !  Do  they  not  realize  that  their  life  has  ("  =  7-m) 
been  a  complete  failure,  and  that  in  their  moral  develop- 
ment they  are  exactly  where  they  were  centuries  ago, 
when  they  were  wandering  desert  tribes?  Therefore 
Jehovah  must  cause  them  to  go  back  to  that  simple 
nomadic  life,  and  begin  their  education  over  again. 
This  failure  is  not  because  he  has  neglected  to  send 
to  them  faithful  prophets,  who  by  forcible  illustrations, 
as  well  as  by  spoken  words,  have  striven  long  and 
earnestly  to  instruct  them.  But  it  was  all  in  vain,  for 
coupled  with  their  mercenary  ideals  was  their  idolatrous 
religion,  blinding  them  to  all  truth,  and  making  them 
73 


Hosea  12  :  14  Messages  of  the 

objects  worthy   of  divine  wrath.'      The   bitter   conse- 
quences of  their  guilt  shall  be  theirs  to  endure. 

6.    The  Final  Revieiu  of  IsraeV  s  All's fa^es  and  their 
Inevitable  Consequences  (13  :  1-16) 

The  idolatry      In  the  earlier  days,  Ephraim,  the  great  tribe  of  the 

which  pre-  "^  '^  ° 

vails  in  Is-  north,  was  the  acknowledged  leader  of  the  Hebrew  race, 
source  of  its  but  when  its  religion  degenerated  into  Baalism,  its  death 
(13^^1-6).  began.  The  best  energies  of  the  northern  kingdom  are 
still  being  devoted  to  the  construction  of  idols  and  the 
senseless  worship  of  the  calves  which  have  been  set  up 
at  the  popular  shrines.  A  nation  which  is  thus  decayed 
at  the  core  cannot  survive  in  these  troublesome  times. 
WTien  the  Ass}Tian  whirlwind  strikes,  it  shall  be  scat- 
tered like  chaff  to  the  four  winds.  And  yet,  how  differ- 
ent it  all  might  have  been  !  Eg}-pt  and  the  wilderness 
wanderings  presented  greater  dangers  than  the  present  ; 
and  still,  under  Jehovah' s  guidance,  they  passed  through 
them  all  in  safety.  It  was  the  wealth  and  luxur>'  of 
Canaan  which  led  them  to  forget  the  God  in  whom  they 
had  found  an  able  helper. 

Thus,  in  their  time  of  stress,  he  who  alone  can  deliver 

1  Verses  12  and  13  interrupt  the  sequence  of  the  thought,  which  is  con- 
tinued from  verse  11  to  verse  14,  and,  accordingly,  have  been  omitted  in 
the  paraphrase.  They  seem  to  expand  the  thought  of  verse  9,  recalling  how, 
in  the  midst  of  adversity  and  danger,  Jehovah  ever  led  the  ancestors  of  the 
Israelites.     It  is  not  improbable  that  the  present  text  has  been  disarranged 

74 


Earlier  Prophets  Hosea  14:4 

is  their  fierce  antagonist      How  powerless  are  the  weak  The  supreme 

opportunity 

kings  whom  they  set  up  for  Jehovah  forthwith  to  cast  lost  because 
down  !     The  present  moment  might  have  been  one  of  Son's  fou'y 
triumph  instead  of  judgment      But  as  it  is,  can  Jehovah  ^^^  '  ^'^^^' 
think  for  an  instant  of  delivering?     Instead,  he  must 
stifle  all  feelings    of  pity  and  give  over  the  culpable 
nation  to  severest  punishment     Drought  conquest  and 
pitiless  war,  shall  speedily  do  their  cruel  work.      Before 
them  the  strong,  the  helpless,  and  the  innocent,  shall  all 
meet  a  common  death. 

7.   The  True  Prayer  of  Repentance  and  its  Answer 
(14  :  1-9) 

Fallen,  sin-stained  people,  come  back,  I  beseech  you,  what  is- 
to  Jehovah,  your  only  true  God.     Come,   bringing  not  tude^towai-d 
in  your  hands  sacrifices  and  burnt  offerings,  but  on  your  shouiTbe 
lips    true   words    of  contrition.       Let   your   prayer   be,  ^^'* "  ^'^^' 
"  Cleanse  us  thoroughly  from  our  sins.     Accept  as  our 
best  offering  the  confessions  and  faithful  vows  which 
we  now  make.     At  last  we  have  learned  that  Assyrian 
alliances  will  not  save  us,  nor  Eg)'ptian  cavalry.      No 
longer  will  we  pay  divine  homage  to  the  idols  which  our 
hands  have  made.      To  thy  mercy,  O  thou  Father  of 
mercies,  we  commend  ourselves. ' ' 

Hear  the  ready  response  which  Jehovah  would  give  to 
such  a  prayer:  "Although  Israel  is  suffering  grievously 
75 


Hosea  14  : 4-9 
The  gra-       from  the  effects  of  long  years  of  sin,  I  will  restore  and 


cious  re 


sponse  bestow  my  love  unreservedly  upon  this  repentant  people, 
Jehovah  for  it  is  necessary  no  longer  for  me  to  think  of  judgment. 
to°suchT^^  Under  my  benign  influence  their  growth,  so  long  arrested 
fi!i"'T-6).  ^y  their  course  of  crime,  shall  proceed  rapidly,  until 
they  shall  stand  before  the  world  a  powerful  and  at- 
tractive nation. 
The  joys  of       "Then  wiU  those  who  live  under  its  banners  enjoy 

repentance 

and  recon-  prosperity  and  a  glorious  development.  Then  will  Israel 
(14  :  7,  8).  recognize  the  folly  of  worshiping  idols,  and  I  in  turn  will 
freely  forgive  and  care  for  the  repentant  nation.  At  last 
Israel  will  realize  and  confess  that  its  true  growth  and 
prosperity  come  from  me,  who  am  the  eternal  source  of 
all  life  and  growth." 
The  Epi'  [Whoever  is  quick  to  perceive  and  appropriate  truth 

(14 : 9).  will  find  in  these  obscure  prophecies  rich  and  eternal 
messages,  illustrating  above  all  the  great  fact  that  Jeho- 
vah's  demands  are  altogether  just,  and  that,  for  those 
who  conform  to  them,  life  is  easy ;  but,  for  those  who 
refuse  to  comply,  it  is  beset  with  insuperable  difficulties.] 


76 


THE  EARLIER  PROPHETIC  ACTIVITY 
OF   ISAIAH 


THE  EARLIER  PROPHETIC  ACTIVITY 
OF  ISAIAH 


THE  YOUNG  PROPHET  OF  JERUSALEM 

While  Amos  and  Rosea  were  executing  in  the 
northern  kingdom  the  mission  with  which  God  had  en- 
trusted them,  a  youth  was  approaching  manhood  in  the 
city  of  Jerusalem  who  was  rarely  qualified  in  personal 
endowment  and  by  favoring  conditions  to  enter  upon  a 
similar  work  in  Judah,  and  to  carry  it  to  a  higher  stage 
of  development.  The  peer  of  these  men  of  God  in 
loyalty,  devotion,  and  courage,  he  was  so  situated  that  a 
much  wider  sphere  of  service  was  open  to  him.  If  not 
related  to  the  royal  family,  he  was  at  least  of  gentle 
blood,  and  entitled  by  general  consent  to  a  place  of  dig- 
nity and  influence  at  the  court  and  among  the  people. 
During  his  whole  career  he  played  the  part  of  a  leader 
in  political  as  well  as  religious  and  social  affairs.  As  a 
loyal  citizen  of  Jerusalem,  he  was  peculiarly  fitted  to 
perceive  and  express  the  important  relation  of  the  holy 
city  to  the  plan  of  God,  unfolding  for  the  nation.  That 
his  natural  abilities  were  of  no  ordinary  character  is 
79 


Isaiah  Messages  of  the 

proved  by  the  dignity,  vigor,  and  beauty  which  charac- 
terize all  his  utterances.  It  is  entirely  probable,  how- 
ever, that  he  availed  himself  of  all  the  educational 
resources  of  a  brilliant  era. 

His  boyhood  was  during  a  happy  period  of  Judah'  s 
history,  when  the  energetic  and  enterprising  Uzziah  was 
on  the  throne  of  Judah.  This  king,  enthroned  when 
but  a  youth,  enabled  his  people  to  recover  speedily  from 
the  depression  to  which  the  stubborn  conceit  of  his 
father  Amaziah  (2  Kings  14  :  8-14)  had  reduced  them. 
With  skill  and  judgment  he  developed  Judah' s  natural 
resources,  strengthened  her  defenses,  and  opened  many 
avenues  of  wealth.  He  compelled  the  petty  nations 
round  about  to  resume  their  old  relation  as  tributaries. 
He  even  won  back  the  port  of  Elath,  on  the  eastern  arm 
of  the  Red  Sea,  secured  a  navy  of  '*  ships  of  Tarshish" 
(Isa.  2:16),  and  resumed  the  traffic  with  South  Arabia 
which  Solomon  had  fostered.  He  thus  made  his  little 
kingdom  secure,  powerful,  and  prosperous,  and  gave  his 
people  renewed  confidence  in  themselves  and  in  their 
future.  Judah,  under  King  Uzziah,  became  a  fair 
counterpart  of  Israel  under  King  Jeroboam  II,  whose 
reign  was  practically  contemporaneous.  No  wonder 
that  the  soul  of  the  young  Judean  prophet  was  stirred  by 
the  sight  of  evils  similar  to  those  which  had  kindled  the 
prophetic  ardor  of  Amos, — a  thoughtless  greed  for 
80 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah 

wealth,  a  consequent  abuse  of  power  and  opportunity,  a 
forgetfulness  of  moral  standards,  all  combined  with  a 
scrupulousness  for  religious  forms  and  with  a  pretense 
of  loyalty  to  Jehovah, — and  that  his  study  of  the  utter- 
ances of  Amos  and  Hosea  to  the  northern  people  pre- 
pared him  for  a  prompt  consecration  of  himself  as 
God' s  spokesman  to  the  people  of  Judah. 

By  his  own  statement  (Isa.  6  :  i)  the  prophet  lets  us 
know  that  it  was  in  the  year  of  King  Uzziah'  s  death  that 
he  began  his  public  career.  He  then  definitely  recog- 
nized the  duty  imposed  upon  him  by  his  divine  sov- 
ereign. He  was  then  a  young  man,  but  probably 
married.  He  was  not  immature  nor  lacking  in  prestige. 
On  the  contrary,  his  earliest  utterances  breathe  the  same 
serene  and  thoughtful  confidence,  and  exhibit  all  the 
characteristic  qualities,  which  we  find  in  the  impassioned 
addresses  of  forty  years  later.  His  growth  during  these 
years  was  not  so  much  an  advancement  in  social  posi- 
tion nor  oratorical  skill,  nor  even  in  fundamental  ideas,  as 
in  his  grasp  of  all  the  factors  which  were  to  be  combined 
to  carry  out  the  divine  plan,  and  in  his  emphasis  of  those 
which  were  of  supreme  importance.  During  the  reigns 
of  Jotham,  Ahaz,  and  Hezekiah,  the  prophet  was  a 
prominent  factor  in  the  affairs  of  Judah,  recognized, 
although  sometimes  opposed,  by  both  king  and  people. 
He  applied  the  touchstone  of  Jehovah's  approval  to 
8i 


Isaiah  Messages  of  tlte 

their  pursuits  and  plans.  Like  his  prophetic  predeces- 
sors, he  rebuked  the  ungodliness  made  manifest  in  the 
superstition,  formalism,  and  self-esteem  of  the  people  of 
Judah,  and  denounced  the  social  evils  which  were 
spreading  among  them.  He  advanced  beyond  Amos  or 
Hosea  in  his  application  of  the  principles  of  prophecy  to 
national  questions.  Partly,  perhaps,  because  of  his  in- 
timacy with  those  who  ruled  the  state,  partly  because  of 
his  habit  of  mind,  he  was  a  statesman  as  well  as  a  re- 
former. He  constantly  urged  a  national  policy  based 
upon  the  will  of  Jehovah,  He  thus  restored  the  ad- 
visory function  of  the  prophet  of  Jehovah,  so  honored  in 
the  life  of  Elisha,  and  gave  it  a  broader  definition  in  the 
light  of  the  higher  prophetic  ideals  of  his  own  age.  He 
was  more,  however,  than  reformer  or  statesman.  That 
which  gave  him  power  in  either  capacity,  and  trans- 
formed his  utterances  from  nothing  more  than  a  skilful 
exhibition  of  rhetorical  power  into  stirring  and  search- 
ing appeals  to  conscience,  was  his  wonderful  grasp  of 
the  nature  and  purposes  of  God,  and  his  insistence  upon 
the  recognition  of  God  in  every  act  of  man.  From  his 
inaugural  vision  of  Jehovah  he  was  a  student  of  the 
divine  nature,  plan,  and  methods,  transmitting  to  his 
disciples  a  well-ordered  survey  of  the  relations  of  God, 
man,  and  the  universe,  which  is  entitled  to  recognition 
as  the  first  true  theology  which  we  can  trace. 
82 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah 

It  would  be  impossible  for  the  student  of  prophecy  to 
understand  the  life  and  work  of  this  uncrowned  king  of 
men  by  reading  the  Book  of  Isaiah  in  the  present  order 
of  chapters.  When  his  utterances  were  first  reduced  to 
written  form, — in  part,  perhaps,  by  the  great  teacher  him- 
self, in  part  by  his  disciples, — they  circulated  among  the 
faithful  in  Israel  in  more  or  less  fragmentary  form. 
Disciples  here  and  there  made  collections  of  these  pub- 
lished prophecies,  arranging  them  in  little  groups,  each 
bearing  on  a  special  theme.  It  thus  happened  that 
when  the  Isaianic  writings  were  all  gathered  into  one 
roll  by  some  one  who  probably  lived  long  after  the 
prophet  had  passed  away,  their  order  was  distinctively 
topical.  Chapters  i  to  12,  for  instance,  form  a  little 
volume  of  discourses  of  very  different  dates  on  Judah 
and  Jerusalem.  Chapters  13  to  27  seem  to  have  been 
grouped  together  because  they  deal  with  various  foreign 
nations.  The  historical  student  of  to-day  is  forced  to 
ignore  the  present  order  of  chapters  or  discourses  alto- 
gether. Nor  does  he  seek  to  arrange  them  in  the 
probable  order  of  composition.  It  is  not  unlikely  that 
the  sixth  chapter,  which  relates  the  inaugural  vision  of 
the  prophet,  was  written  many  years  after  the  actual 
experience,  yet  the  one  who  seeks  to  reproduce  and  in- 
terpret the  prophet's  career  will  study  it  first  of  all. 
Similarly,  the  first  chapter,  which  to-day  makes  a  force- 

83 


Isaiah  Messages  of  the 

ful  introduction  to  the  book  of  Isaiah' s  prophecies,  was 
possibly  written  almost  forty  years  after  the  opening  of 
his  ministry.  It  is  a  capital  resume  of  the  earlier  work 
of  the  prophet,  and  can  best  be  treated  as  such. 

Under  the  generally  acknowledged  principle  that  the 
prophecies  can  most  helpfully  be  read  and  studied  in 
connection  with  the  historical  period  to  which  each  one 
refers,  a  number  of  chapters  in  the  Book  of  Isaiah  are 
at  once  relegated  to  the  time  of  the  Babylonian  exile 
or  later.  Whether  the  prophet  Isaiah  uttered  these  pre- 
dictions, or  some  one  else,  does  not  affect  this  necessity 
for  studying  them  in  connection  with  the  history  of  the 
exile  and  the  return.  Only  then  do  they  become  intel- 
ligible and  convey  to  our  minds  the  impression  intended 
by  him  who  produced  them.  In  accordance  with  this 
principle,  not  only  do  we  omit  from  present  considera- 
tion chapters  40  to  66,  but  also  chapters  13  and  14,  24 
to  27,  and,  with  less  assurance,  chapters  21,  34,  and  35. 
The  remaining  thirty  chapters  can  be  arranged  with 
considerable  certainty  into  two  groups  of  prophecies 
which  relate  to  events  during  the  actual  lifetime  of  the 
prophet. 

The  public  career  of  Isaiah  was  not  less  than  forty 
years  in  length.  The  year  701  B.  C.  is  the  last  year 
which  we  can  definitely  determine.  It  would  seem  in- 
credible that  even  sixty-six  chapters  should  represent 
84 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah 

the  intense  activity  of  those  years,  did  we  not  remember 
that  a  paragraph  or  chapter  often  summarizes  in  briefest 
possible  form  the  leading  ideas  of  a  year  or  more  of 
active  ministry.  From  the  material  preserved  to  us  we 
might  infer  that  his  busiest  years  were  at  the  opening 
and  at  the  close  of  his  prophetic  life,  for  the  greater 
number  of  these  chapters  belong  to  the  years  739  to 
732,  and  705  to  701  B.  C. 

The  first  group  includes  about  fourteen  chapters,  and 
reflects  the  earlier  activity  of  Isaiah  down  to  the  fall  of 
the  northern  kingdom  (722  B.  C),  a  period  of  seventeen 
or  eighteen  years.  From  the  standpoint  of  prophetic 
biography  these  chapters  are  full  of  interest.  Aside 
from  the  story  of  his  consecration  to  his  exalted  office, 
they  reproduce  his  earliest  ministry,  when  his  message 
was  of  judgment  upon  the  ungodliness  and  crime  pre- 
vailing in  Judah, — a  message  parallel  in  many  respects  to 
those  of  Amos  and  Rosea,  and  doubtless  inspired  in 
part  by  them.  About  735  B.  C.  came  the  crisis  which 
gave  occasion  for  his  first  appearance  as  a  political  ad- 
viser. The  weak  and  timid  King  Ahaz,  being  besieged 
in  his  own  capital  by  the  allied  armies  of  the  kings  of 
Northern  Israel  and  Syria,  secretly  meditated  a  deliv- 
erance by  becoming  a  vassal  of  the  all-powerful  king  of 
Assyria,  the  famous  Tiglath-pileser.  The  prophet  ap- 
pealed in  vain  to  prince  and  people  to  show  their  trust 
8s 


Isaiah  6  :  i  Messages  of  the 

in  Jehovah  by  relying  upon  him  alone  in  their  emer- 
gency, and  rejecting  all  temporary  expedients  for  safety. 
Disappointing  as  his  failure  was,  it  had  important  re- 
sults, which  affected  the  methods  and  principles  of  his 
subsequent  ministry.  The  most  obvious  consequence 
was  also,  in  all  probability,  the  most  important  Since 
the  nation  as  such  would  not  heed  his  message,  he 
seems  to  have  retired  from  public  activity  and  given 
himself  to  the  instruction  of  such  kindred  spirits  as  he 
could  gather  round  him.  Thus  the  ten  years  of  com- 
parative silence  which  followed  were,  after  all,  years  of 
most  influential  service,  and  the  period  as  a  whole  was 
an  essential  preparation  for  the  outwardly  more  glorious 
achievements  of  later  years. 

Our  study  of  the  life  and  teachings  of  the  prophet  as 
portrayed  in  his  own  utterances  will  naturally  commence 
with  his  reminiscences  of  that  solemn  hour  when  his 
Lord  was  first  revealed  as  a  king,  who  called  for  a  mes- 
senger to  men,  and  accepted  him. 

II 

ISAIAH'S  CALL  TO  SERVICE  (6) 

ui'thetempie     J^^t   after   the  death  of  my  once-revered  sovereign, 
(6:1-3).       Uzziah,  while  meditating  in  the  temple  on  the  outlook 
before  my  beloved  people,   I  suddenly  found  myself 
86 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  6  :  lo 

standing  in  the  very  presence  of  Jehovah,  enthroned  in 
majesty,  his  ample  robes  seeming  to  fill  the  space  before 
me.  Around  him  stood  a  retinue  of  heavenly  beings, 
veiling  in  deep  reverence  their  faces  and  forms,  while 
they  joined  in  continual  praise  of  his  holiness,  power, 
and  glory. 

My  first  impression  was  one  of  fear.     The  thresholds  His  confes- 

*  sion  of  sin 

trembled  at  the  sound  of  their  voices  ;  before  my  pro-  and  forgive- 

fane  eyes  a  protecting  veil  of  mist  arose.     I  longed  to 

unite  my  praises  with  those  of  the  heavenly  choir,  but  a 

sense  of  my  unworthiness   checked   me,   and    I    said  : 

♦ '  Alas  !  I  dare  not  take  the  holy  name  upon  my  lips, 

for  this  vision  of  my  heavenly  sovereign  reveals  to  me 

my  own  sin  and  that  of  my  people. ' '      No  sooner  had  I 

uttered  this  confession  than  I  was  given  a  glad  assurance 

of  forgiveness  and  atonement.     A  seraph  touched  my 

lips  with  a  glowing  coal  from  the  altar,  assuring  me  that 

they  were  now  cleansed.      At  once  I  seemed  to  hear  His  call 

.  (6  :  S-ga). 

Jehovah  saying,  "Who  will  be  our  messenger  to  men  ?" 

and  with  joy  I  offered  myself  for  the  service.     Then  he  The  eflfect  of 

.  his  preach- 

uttered  this  depressmg  word  :   "I  appomt  you,  mdeed,  ing  upon  his 
to  declare  my  will  to  this  people.      Do  not  overestimate,  coumfymen 
however,  the  effect  of  your  preaching.     The  great  mass  ^   '  ^  ^^*^* 
of  your  countrymen  will  refuse  to  listen  to  you.      Nay, 
the  more  earnestly  you  plead,  the  more  will  their  obsti- 
nacy deaden  their  capacity  to  receive  spiritual  impres- 
87 


Isaiah  6  :  lo  Messages  of  the 

sions.  Your  work  will  seem  disheartening  and  fruitless. ' ' 
Appalled  by  this  prospect,  I  said  :  "Surely,  O  Jehovah  ! 
there  will  be  a  limit  to  this  stubborn  unbelief  ; '  *  but  in 
reply  I  received  a  message  which  wrung  my  heart  : 
"Not  until  Jehovah's  desolating  judgment  of  war  and 
captivity  has  been  enforced  against  this  sinful  land. 
Even  when  only  a  tenth  of  the  people  remains,  the  judg- 
ment must  be  repeated,  until  nothing  is  left  of  the 
A  ray  of  stately  tree  of  Judah  but  an  unsightly  stump."  One 
(6  :  13b).  blessed  ray  of  hope  was  given  me  :  "As  the  stump  of 
the  oak  tree  retains  its  vitality  and  sends  up  shoots, 
which  form  a  new  tree,  so  will  it  be  with  Judah.  The 
faithful  servants  of  Jehovah,  though  few  in  number,  will 
survive  the  judgment,  and  grow  again  into  a  people 
fitted  to  carry  out  God's  great  plan." 


Ill 

PROPHECIES    OF  JUDGMENT    UPON    JUDAH  FOR  THE 
SINS    OF   THE    NATION 

I.   Sermons  about  Jerusalem  from  Jehovah' s  Point  oj 
View  (2  to  4) 

^eJtatto  "'  •^^^  ^°^^  ^^^^"^  Jehovah  had  called  me  to  his  service, 
regarding  as  I  was  thinking  of  his  plans  for  my  people  there 
glory  of  came  to  my  mind  the  well-known  prediction  that  Mt. 
(2:2-4).       Zion,  the  site  of  the  beautiful  temple  of  Jehovah,  will 

88 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  2:18 

y0t  become  the  most  conspicuous  mountain  in  the  world, 
so  that  all  nations  will  eagerly  flock  thither  to  be  taught 
true  views  regarding  God  and  life.  Their  disputes  will 
then  be  settled  by  Jehovah' s  just  arbitrament.  Since  all 
necessity  for  war  will  cease,  their  weapons  will  be  fash- 
ioned into  implements  of  agriculture. 

As  I  repeated  in  public  this  glorious  hope,  I  could  but  JJ^^^J^' 
add,  ' '  O  house  of  Jacob,  does  not  such  a  destiny  impel  us  not  fulfil 

r  1/-!  such  pleas- 

so  to  serve  our  God  that  we  may  be  found  worthy  to  fulfil  ing  hopes 
it  ?  For  let  us  not  deceive  ourselves  into  thinking  that  ' 
Jehovah  is  ready  to  use  us,  sinners  that  we  are.  He  must 
sorely  discipline  his  beloved  people,  for  they  no  longer 
trust  in  him.  Sorcerers  and  soothsayers  and  strangers 
are  their  friends.  They  gloat  over  their  accumulating 
wealth  and  resources.  They  have  even  filled  the  city 
with  idols  made  by  themselves.  Every  one  of  them  de- 
serves a  humiliating  retribution  for  his  forgetfulness  of 
God  ;  they  are  beyond  forgiveness. 

You  boast,  O  my  people,  of  what  will  happen  on  Jc- "^il^/'^^y,, 
hovah'sday.     Alas!  his  coming  in  majesty  will  be  a  day  a  day  of 

-  ,,.,..  ^  ,  .  ,  humiliation 

of  terror  and  humiliation  to  you.    Everythmg  that  seems  for  mere 
to    exalt   itself  or  minister   to   human   pride   shall   be  (^:  lo^i^"  ^ 
brought  low,  for  at  all  costs  Jehovah  will  maintain  his 
supremacy.      He  alone  will  be  exalted. 

The  idols,  so  carefully  made  of  costly  material,  will  be 
cast  aside  when  Jehovah  reveals  his  majestic  presence  in 
89 


Isaiah  2:19  Messages  of  the 

And  a  day    the  earthquake.     You  will  try  to  hide  away  from  him 

when  idola- 
try will  be     in  the  recesses  of  the  rocks.      How  puny  human  power 

(2 :  18-21).    will   then  seem   to  be ;   how  useless   such  hand-made 


gods 


The  com-         In  the  year  that  the  boy  king,  Ahaz,   ascended  the 

plete  col-  ^  <j 

lapse  of        throne,  I  made  known  to  Judah  the  catastrophe  to  be  ex- 

social  order  ,  _    ,  ,  n  n        i  -i 

in  Judah       pccted.      "  Jehovah  will  remove  all  who  contribute  to 
{^^1'-^)-       ^^^  order  and  stability  of  society.      Weak  and  capricious 
rulers  shall  have  supreme  power.     All  discipline  or  gov- 
ernment will  come  to  an  end.      In  vain  will  you  entreat 
the  one  remaining  householder  to  assume  authority  over 
his  fellows.      You  will  all  be  driven  to  utter  despair. ' ' 
Because  of        The  reason  for  this  certain  ruin  is  the  flagrant  wicked- 
judgment  of  ness  carried  on  so  openly  by  those  who  should  be  the 
upon^her       protectors  and  exemplars  of  virtue.     They  cannot  com- 
rulers  plain  if  their  own   evil  doings   bring  evil  upon  them- 

(3  :8-i2).     selves.     O  my  people,  your  leaders  are  misleaders  ;  they 
only  make   you   go    astray.     When  Jehovah    calls    his 
Hewiiivin-  people  before  him  for  judgment,   he  will  reckon  with 

dicate  the       ^      ^  J       fe  » 

oppressed     these  cruel  and  selfish  rulers,  who  neglect  all  interests 

(3  :  13-15). 


but  their  own. 


The  fate  of       ^t  another  time  Tehovah  bade  me  announce  that  his 

the  haughty  ■' 

and  luxuri-   righteous  judgment  would  not  fail  to  descend  upon  the 

Jerusalem     proud  and  vain  ladies  of  Jerusalem,  whose  luxuries  gave 

/:i').  °       excuse  for  the  exactions  of  their  husbands.     Theirs  shall 

be  a  terrible  fate.     Those  who  are  now  so  haughty  and 

90 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  5  :  i 

coquettish  will  be  stripped  of  their  bewildering  attire, 
exposed  to  shame,  and  treated  as  wretched  captives  of 
war,  while  the  holy  city  will  be  disconsolate  because  of 
the  loss  of  her  brave  defenders.  So  few  will  be  spared 
that  the  women  in  that  day  will  crowd  around  each  sur- 
vivor and  plead  for  marriage,  that  they  may  be  spared 
the  reproach  of  childlessness. 

pWhen  the  desolating  judgment  has  been  completed,  T^^^^'^X^ 
the  land  will  become  abundantly  fertile.     The  few  who  Jehovah  will 

,    /-  •  •       t  1        .        t  ,.^      .         ,       delight  to 

are  left  to  enjoy  it,  because  predestmed  to  life  in  the  dwell 
holy  city,  will  be  truly  holy,  for  Jehovah  himself  will 
thoroughly  purify  them.  Over  the  city  will  hover  his 
protecting  presence,  even  as  he  once  manifested  himself 
to  his  people  in  the  desert  He  will  also  protect  his 
favorite  dwelling-place  from  the  scorching  heat  of  mid- 
day and  from  the  driving  storm.  His  constant  presence 
will  make  it  a  paradise.] 

2.  Judah  the  Unfruitful  Vineyard  of  fehovah  (5  :  1-24) 

Determined  to  bring  home  to  my  countrymen  their  The  song  of 
unfaithfulness  to  God,  I  offered  one  day  to  sing  a  melo-  IndltTappS 
dious  song  about  a  friend  of  mine  who  owned  a  vine-  ff *.'i?-) 
yard  : 

1  It  is  thought  by  many  scholars  that  this  paragraph  formed  no  part  of 
the  spoken  message  of  the  prophet  at  this  particular  epoch,  but  was  added 
as  a  suitable  conclusion  at  the  time  when  the  separate  sermons  of  chap- 
ters 2  to  4  were  gathered  into  their  present  literary  form. 

91 


Isaiah  5  :  2  Messages  of  the 

A  vineyard  belongs  to  my  friend, 
On  a  hill  that  is  fruitful  and  sunny  ; 
He  digged  it  and  cleared  it  of  stones, 
And  planted  there  vines  that  are  choice. 
A  tower  he  built  in  the  midst. 
And  hewed  therein  also  a  wine-vat ; 
And  he  looked  to  find  grapes  that  are  good. 
Alas  !  it  bore  grapes  that  are  wild.i 

I  appealed  to  my  auditors  :  "Ye  men  of  Judah,  your- 
selves judge.  Has  this  vineyard  fulfilled  my  reasonable 
expectations  ?  Am  I  not  amply  justified  in  laying  it 
waste  and  giving  it  no  further  care?"  At  their  ready 
assent  I  exclaimed,  "O  men  of  Judah,  you  have  con- 
demned yourselves.  You  are  the  plantation  on  which 
Jehovah  has  lavished  his  affectionate  care.  He  ex- 
pected you  to  set  an  example  of  justice,  but  there  is  no- 
thing to  be  seen  but  bloodshed  ;  he.  looked  for  righteous- 
ness, but  he  hears  the  bitter  outcry  of  the  oppressed."^ 
judah'swUd  Y)q  jq-^  indignantly  deny  my  charge  ?  Then  let  me 
greed  for      show  you  the  evils  that  are  sapping  the  moral  life  of  this 

landed  .  ^         ,  11^  ,         .       . 

estates  nation.  See  the  cruel  greed  for  vast  estates  that  incites 
the  wealthy  to  unjustly  add  to  their  possessions  until  a 
few  of  them  possess  the  whole  land.  Woe  to  them  ! 
Jehovah  himself  hath  revealed  to  me  that  depopulation 
and  barrenness  shall  be  the  sequel. 

1  The  version  is  that  of  Professor  Cheyne. 
s  The  contrasts  are  heightened,  in  the  Hebrew,  by  striking  similarities  of 
sound  in  the  words. 

92 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  5  :  23 

Again  God' s  curse  is  upon  those  nobles  who  spend  Excessive 

,  ^      .....  Z  drunkenness 

day  and  night  m  reckless  dissipation,  too  engrossed  with  (5 :  n-i?)- 
the  pleasures  of  the  table  to  give  attention  to  Jehovah' s 
interests.  Alas  !  not  these  alone,  but  the  many  who  un- 
thinkingly follow  them,  will  have  to  suffer  the  distress  of 
captives.  Nay,  Sheol  shall  engulf  in  oblivion  all  their 
pomp  and  glory.  Where  once  was  a  beautiful  city 
flocks  shall  peacefully  graze  ;  for  at  all  costs  Jehovah 
will  compel  his  people  to  recognize  him  as  the  righteous 
and  holy  One. 

Woe  again  to  those  who  are  so  deliberate  and  per-  Defiant 

1    '  '111  T  -1    /-  ,         skepticism 

sistent  in  doing  evil  that  they  even  dare  to  defy  Jeho-  (5 :  18, 19). 
vah's  judgment,  announced  through  his  servants,  until 
it  overtakes  them  !     Their  very  attachment  to  their  sin 
is  a  bond  which  fetters  them  for  the  inevitable  judg- 
ment 

Jehovah  cannot  look  with  favor  upon  those  who,  for  Sophistry 

^  and  egoism 

their   own   profit,   juggle  with    moral    distinctions    that  (5 :  20, 21). 
abuses  may  flourish,    nor  upon   those    self-complacent 
men  of  influence  who  will  take   no    heed  of  prudent 
counsel.     The  just  God   cannot   approve   of  those    on  Judicial  cor- 
thrones    of  judgment   whose   only   ambition    is    to   be  (5 122, 23). 
praised  for  their  ability  in  drinking  and  their  skill  in 
producing  drinks,  while  officially  they  accept  bribes  to 
acquit  the  guilty  and  condemn  the  innocent 

O  my  people,  these  sins  are  ruining  our  beloved  na- 

93 


Isaiah  5  :  24  Messages  of  the 

Theconciu-  tion.      As  swiftly  as   fire  devours   stubble,   or  as  hay 
5  .  24  .  gj^j.-^g|g  -j^  ^^  flame,  will  it  lose  strength  and  life  ;  for 
its  citizens  will  not  listen  to  the  warning  voice  of  their 
•    King  and  Lord. 

3.  Israel's  Ripeness  for  Judgment,  a  Warning 
(9  :  8  to  10  :  4  ;  5  :  25-30) 

Israel's  dis-       Jehovah  has  often  spoken  to  his  people  of  Samaria  by 

regard  of 

divine  providential  dealings  which  they  should  have  recognized 

(^Q^^s-if).  and  interpreted  as  warnings.  But  in  their  self-confi- 
dence and  bravado  they  simply  boast  that  they  can  re- 
pair all  their  losses  to  their  own  advantage,  wholly  ignor- 
ing Jehovah's  purpose.  He  it  was  who  stirred  up  their 
fierce  eastern  foes,  the  Syrians,  and  their  Philistine  ene- 
mies on  the  west,  so  that  repeatedly  the  strength  of 
their  land  was  broken.  Yet,  since  there  was  no  repent- 
ance, Jehovah*  s  menacing  attitude  had  still  to  be  main- 
tained. 
The  sudden  Upon  these  obsdnate  people  Jehovah  brought  an 
which  over-  overwhelming  calamity.  He  suddenly  caused  the  lead- 
(9°  13-17).  ers,  great  and  small,  true  and  false,  to  perish.  They 
amply  deserved  this  fate,  for  they  misled  and  ruined 
their  people.  The  whole  nadon  shared  in  their  corrup- 
tion. God  could  spare  neither  the  strong  nor  the  help- 
less. And  even  then  he  was  forced  to  continue  his 
judgments. 

94 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  5  :  28 

For  wickedness,  which  Jehovah  permits  to  have   its  The  horror* 
way,  is  as  unquenchable  and  destructive  as  a  forest  fire,  anarchy* 
A  condition  of  anarchy  arose  at  once  in  Israel.    Faction  ^^  '  '^'**^- 
fought  with  faction,  all  ties  of  kindred  being  forgotten 
in  the  mad  strife.     The  only  bond  of  unity  was  a  com- 
mon hatred  of  Judah.     But  not  even  this  has  sufficed  to 
open  their  eyes. 

Woe  to  those  men  who  use  their  power  to  cover,  by  A  day  of 
the  forms  of  justice,  the  most  grievous  wrongs  against  coming"fm- 
ilie  poor  and  helpless  !     What  will  such  do  in  the  dayj^uSJf 
of  reckoning,  when  Jehovah  summons  the  invader  from  (^°  •  '*■♦)• 
afar  ?    Of  what  use  then  will  be  their  ill-gotten  wealth? 
Nothing  can  they  do  but  burrow  for  safety  beneath  the 
corpses  on  the  battle-field.     Even  this  sweeping  judg- 
ment will  not  satisfy  Jehovah's  sense  of  justice. 

*  Nor  did  the  earthquake  avail.     Jehovah  raised  his  The  earth- 
hand,  the  mountains  shook,  the  dead  were  like  offal  in  Os^f  25). 
the  streets,  yet  the  warning  was  unheeded. 

So  Jehovah  will  have  to  signal  to  a  distant  but  well-  God's  dis- 

.  .         .  ,       ,  .  ^  .,        tantinstru- 

known  nation,  summonmg  it  to  be  his  agent  of  retribu-  mem  of 
tion  upon  his  stubborn  people.     Tireless  and  vigilant,  (5  :^*i). 
perfectly  appointed  for  war,  its  weapons  ready  for  use, 
its  horses  and  chariots  prepared  for  action,  swiftly  will  it 

1  The  proper  position  of  this  verse,  which  seems  to  be  all  that  is  left  of  a 
stanza  of  equal  length  with  the  four  preceding  ones,  is  a  matter  of  much 
dispute  among  scholars. 

95 


Isaiah  5  :  29  Messages  of  the 

come,  and  will  take  possession  of  the  land  as  a  lion 
seizes  its  prey.  Its  onset  will  be  irresistible,  and  nothing 
shall  escape  its  grasp.  With  the  rush  and  roar  of  a  tidal 
wave,  these  dread  foes  shall  sweep  over  the  country, 
leaving  only  ruin  and  distress  behind  the^i. 


IV 

INCIDENTS  AND  SERMONS  RELATING  TO  THE  WAR  OF 
SYRIA  AND  ISRAEL  AGAINST  JUDAH 

I.  The  Situation  (7:1,  2) 
In  the  closing  days  of  Jotham'  s  reign  over  Judah  (2 
Kings  15  :  37),  Rezon,  the  king  of  Syria,  and  Pekah,  the 
king  of  Israel,  made  an  alliance,  and  declared  war 
against  Judah,  in  order  to  force  her  to  unite  with  them 
in  resisting  the  future  advances  of  the  aggressive  king 
of  Assyria.  Chapter  17  :  i-ii  was  probably  uttered  by 
Isaiah  in  view  of  the  alliance  before  active  hostilities  had 
been  begun  against  Judah.  The  accession  of  young 
Ahaz  to  the  throne  of  Judah  may  have  been  coincident 
with  the  first  attack  of  the  allies.  They  met  with  con- 
siderable success,  yet  Ahaz  would  not  yield.  The  two 
kings  determined,  therefore,  to  capture  Jerusalem  by 
assault,  put  an  end  to  the  Davidic  dynasty,  and  set  an 
adventurer  on  the  throne  of  Judah  (Isa.  7  :  6).     This 

96 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  17:6 

greater  danger  produced  a  panic  in  Jerusalem.  Ahaz 
did  not  fail  to  look  to  his  defenses  ;  but  he  resolved  to 
save  his  throne  by  declaring  himself  a  vassal  of  Assyria, 
and  imploring  the  protection  of  his  more  distant  foe. 
To  people  as  well  as  prince  this  seemed  a  judicious  step 
to  take  in  the  circumstances.  While  it  was  being  con- 
sidered, the  prophet  Isaiah  came  forward  to  urge  a  policy 
of  conduct  more  befitting  a  nation  whose  God  was  Jeho- 
vah of  Hosts. 

2.    The  Speedy  Ruin  of  Syria  and  Israel  (17:1-11) 
O  men  of  Judah,  are  you  dismayed  to  hear  that  Syria  The  ap- 
and  Israel  have  made  an  alliance  ?    Alas  that  it  should  fate  of  Da- 
be  true  !     Unhappy  Ephraim  will  bitterly  regret  her  for-  (IJy?"^). 
getfulness  of  Jehovah  and  her  friendship  with  the  idola- 
tries  of  Damascus.      Nor  will  it  avail  her  politically. 
Damascus  will  soon  be  an  utter  ruin.     Where  once  were 
populous  cities  there  will  be  only  a  lonely  pasturage  for 
flocks.     The  kingdom,  so  long  a  protecting  bulwark  of 
Israel  against  all  northern  foes,  shall  cease  to  be. 

But  Jehovah  plans  that  Israel  too  shall  speedily  lose  A|''jjj^^'' 
all  that  has  made  the  nation  renowned  and  wealthy,  tobeexe- 
She  shall  be  enfeebled  as  if  by  a  wasting  disease,  her  Israel 
people  cut  off  as  grain  is  gathered  by  the  sturdy  reaper,  ^'^ '  '*' '' 
and  a  mere  remnant  left,  like  the  meager  leavings  of  an 
olive-picker. 

97 


Isaiah  1717  Messages  of  the 

Jffectfn  *To^-     '^^  ^^^^^  °^  ^^^^  ^^^^  ^®  ^^^^  "^^^  ^^^^  recognize  the 
motingthe    divine  author  of  life,  Israel's  Holy  One,  and  will  cease 

worship  of 

Jehovah  to  reverence  idolatrous  emblems  and  altars.  Your  devas- 
^'^  '"^^  '  tation,  O  Israel,  as  complete  as  that^which  befell  the 
inhabitants  of  Canaan  at  the  hands  of  your  forefathers, 
is  wholly  due  to  your  forgetfulness  of  God,  your  only 
source  of  strength.  The  pains  you  take  in  the  worship 
of  the  Syrian  Adonis  are  utterly  futile  ;  your  only  reward 
will  be  incurable  distress. 

3.  Faith,  not  Fear,  the  True  Motive  for  Judah'  s  King 
(7:3-17) 
Why  Isaiah      When  Tudah'  s  affairs  seemed  to  be  coming  to  a  crisis, 

sought  an  ■'  ° 

interview      Jehovah  directed  me  to  take  my  little  son   "Remnant 

with  king        ^,     ,,rT^  ,,       ,  .      ■,  ,, 

Ahaz  (7 : 3).  Shall  Turn,  whose  name  was  a  constant  remmder  to  all 
the  people  both  of  the  coming  judgment  which  God  had 
bade  me  announce  so  often  and  of  the  hope  which  he 
would  also  extend  under  certain  conditions,  and  go  to 
meet  the  king  near  the  end  of  the  aqueduct  of  the  upper 
pool,  where  he  was  anxiously  inspecting  the  water  supply 

His  encour-  of  the   city  in  anticipation  of  the  coming  siege.      My 

aging  mes- 
sage (7:  4-9).  message  was  one  of  comfort  and  encouragement      "Be 

prudent,  O  king  ;   commit  yourself  to  no  rash  policy. 

Do   not   fear  these  menacing   foes.      Their    show  of 

strength  is  but  the  last  flicker  of  two  expiring  torches. 

Surely  you  are  not  afraid  of  that  usurper,  Pekah,  who 

98 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  7  :  13 

has  incited  Israel  to  make  this  attack,  nor  of  his  ally, 
Rezon.  It  is  Jehovah' s  will  that  their  plans  shall  fail. 
Who  are  these  champions  in  comparison  with  him  !* 
Let  your  policy  be  dictated  by  faith,  and  not  by  fear. 
Without  faith  "^  in  God' s  word,  uttered  through  me,  there 
is  no  security  for  you. '  * 

The  king' s  face  betrayed  his  unwillingness  to  respond  The  king's 
to  my  appeal.      Evidently  he  had  formed  some  plan  of  ness  to  re- 
action to  which  he  and  his  advisers  were  committed.  (7 :  10). 
He  was  not  ready  to  approve  of  an  attitude  of  defensive 
neutrality,  supported  by  a  steady  confidence  in  God' s 
protection.    So  Jehovah  led  me  to  continue  my  message. 
•♦  Do  you  hesitate,  O  king,  to  place  implicit  trust  in  Je-  An  assuring 

1.1-  ^j^Ti-  •  ,  .         signoflfered 

hovah,   your  God  ?     Let  him  convmce  you  by  a  sign  and  refused 
that  I  am  speaking  in  his  name.     Ask  any  sign  you  ^ " "'  ^^ " 
choose  in  the  whole  realm  of  creation."      Unwilling  to 
commit   himself,    the   king    replied,    evasively,     "God 
forbid  that  I  should  put  Jehovah  to  the  proof, ' '  where- 
upon,   indignant   at   such   hypocritical   indifference   to 
God' s  appeal  through  me,  I  said  :   ' '  Listen  to  me,  all  ye  The  sign  of 
whom  Jehovah  appointed  to  rule  and  lead  this  nation,  manuei 
Is  it  so  small  a  matter  to  ignore  the  thoughtful  advice  ^^ '  ^^'^^^' 

1  Verse  8  ^  is  generally  regarded  as  an  insertion,  not  a  part  of  Isaiah's 
real  address  at  this  time. 

'There  is  a  play  on  words  here.  *♦  Without  belief  there  will  be  no 
relief." 

99 


Isaiah  7  :  14  Messages  of  the 

of  your  faithful  subjects  that  you  delight  in  despising 
Jehovah' s  counsel  as  well  ?  He  will  give  you  a  sign. 
A  young  woman  shall  bear  a  son  who  shall  truly  repre- 
sent the  hopes  we  have  inherited^  from  the  days  of 
David.  His  very  name,  'God-is-with-us,'  shall  express 
the  secret  of  his  power.  Through  your  obstinate  folly 
he  shall  receive  but  a  sorry  inheritance.  His  youth 
shall  be  spent  amidst  privations,  his  food  being  only 
curds  and  wild  honey  ;  for  while  he  is  yet  young  the 
lands  of  Syria  and  Israel  shall  be  ravaged,  and  the  very 
power  on  which  you  rely  for  deliverance  from  this  present 
danger  shall  be  the  means  of  inflicting  upon  Judah  such 
a  blow  as  it  has  not  known  since  the  days  of  the  great 
disruption. 

4.  The  Certain  Consequences  of  the  Pro-Assyrian 
Policy  (7  :  18-25) 

Tudah  will        At  various  times  thereafter  I  set  forth  to  my  people 

be  invaded 

by  both        the  inevitable  results  of  the  determmation  of  Ahaz  to 
AfJyria"      enter  into  alliance  with  Assyria.      "  It  can  but  result  in 


(7  :  18-20). 


drawing  us,  as  well  as  our  neighbors,  into  the  struggle 
which  Egypt  and  Assyria,  in  God' s  providence,  will  soon 
begin.  Their  armies,  like  swarms  of  insects  in  number, 
shall  penetrate  into  every  obscure  corner  and  hiding- 
place  of  our  land.  The  very  force  which  Ahaz  has 
100 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  8  :  5 

bribed  to  rid  us  of  our  enemies  Jehovah  will  employ  to 
lay  bare  and  humiliate  his  own  people. 

"So  complete  will  be  the  ruin  that  the  few  remaining  All  judah 
domestic  animals  will  have  free  range,  and  from  their  turned  into 
yield  of  milk  the  sparse  population  will  get  the  curds  ^7^  2^5^" 
which,  with  wild  honey,  will  be  their  only  food.    All  the 
choice  vineyards,  so  prized  by  Judeans,  will  give  place 
to  thorny  thickets,  where  hunters  will  seek  their  game, 
or  to  pasturage  for  cattle  and  sheep. ' ' 

5.  A  Vain  Appeal  fr 0771  King  to  People  (8  :  1-18) 

Since  the  king  and  his  advisers  would  pay  no  heed  to 
my  suggestion  of  the  only  policy  worthy  of  a  nation 
whose  God  was  Jehovah,  I  was  moved  to  take  steps  to 
impress  upon  the  people  the  uselessness  of  their  panic. 
I  inscribed  upon  a  huge  tablet,  in  plain  letters,  the  sug-  The  public 
gestive  words  "  Hasten-spoil-speed-prey,"  and  fas- (8: 1,2). 
tened  it  where  all  the  people  could  see,  securing  two 
reliable  witnesses  of  my  act.     Some  time  later  another  The  name 

of  his  second 

son  was  born  to  me.    Acting  still  under  divine  direction,  son  and  its 

T  ,  .  ,  .  ....  ,        meaning 

I  gave  him  this  same  name,  explaining  it  to  mean  that  (8 : 3, 4). 
before  long  Damascus  and  Samaria  would  be  captured 
and  plundered  by  the  Assyrian  king. 

But  the  faith  of  the  populace  was  no  sturdier  than  that  The  As- 

synan  ally 

of  their  king.     The  danger  from  a  visible  foe  seemed  far  to  become 

,.,,,,  .  ^  an  invader 

more  substantial  to  them  than  the  promises  of  an  unseen  (8  : 5-8). 
loi 


Isaiah  8  :  6  Messages  of  the 

God.  So  this  message  came  to  me  :  "  Since  this  people 
despise  the  gently  flowing  water  of  Shiloah,  fitting  type 
of  God' s  unobtrusive  but  beneficent^  presence  in  our 
midst,  and  are  faint-hearted  at  the  sight  of  Rezon,  Jeho- 
vah must  give  them  a  needed  lesson.  The  Assyrians,  to 
whom  you  wish  to  appeal,  will  advance  like  the  flooded 
Euphrates,  inundating  not  only  Israel,  but  also  Judah, 
all  but  engulfing  this  land,  carrying  destruction  to  every 
quarter  of  even  Immanuel'  s  land. 
Although  a        « <  Let  that  name  be  our  inspiring  watchword.     God' s 

people  of  i  «-> 

faith  might  presence  is  indeed  with  us.  We  might  defy  the  peoples 
defiance  gathered  from  the  ends  of  the  earth  to  serve  under 
(  •  9-IO)-  Assyria' s  standard  if  our  faith  is  strong.  Their  destruc- 
tive plans  can  be  frustrated  with  ease,  since  God  is  in 
our  midst" 
Isaiah's  cer-     While  under  the  immediate  influence  of  God,  in  a 

tamty  that  . 

his  advice  State  of  prophetic  ecstasy,  I  received  this  warning  against 
(8:11-15).  the  impulses  of  the  hour:  "With  bated  breath  your 
countrymen  are  discussing  the  schemes  of  Rezon  and 
Pekah.  Do  not  share  their  absurd  terrors,  but  rev- 
erence Jehovah  as  the  great  central  factor  of  human 
life.  To  those  who  trust  him,  he,  the  Rock,  will  be  an 
altar  of  refuge  ;  to  those  who  ignore  his  mercy,  a  stum- 
bling-block and  trap. ' ' 

Alas  !  as  Jehovah  predicted  when  he  called  me  to  his 
service,  I  have  not  been  able  to  draw  this  people  close 
102 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  i  :  8 

to  God.     They  have  not  listened  to  my  appeals.     God  His  retire- 

-  -11  1  -1  ment  from 

counsels  me  to  write  these  down  and  commit  them  to  public  life  to 
my  little  circle  of  faithful  disciples.     This  done,  I  will  f Jififmeiu  of 
wait  patiently  until  by  their  fulfilment  Jehovah  vindi-  J'/ons'^^'^'^' 
cates  his  messenger.     Meanwhile,  I  and  my  children,  (^  '•  ^6-i8). 
our  very  names  recalling  constantly  the  messages  I  have 
uttered  of  judgment,  promise,  and  power,  shall  be  living 
witnesses  to  my  people  of  Jehovah' s  presence  and  pur- 
pose. 

6.  Jehovah  s  Controversy  with  his  People — 
a   Retrospect  (i  :  2-31) 

Let  all  creation  listen  and  shudder  while  I  recount  The  nation's 
how  Jehovah  has  been  forced  to  charge  his  people  with  toward"  * 
rebellion.     They  are  less  grateful  and  responsive  to  him  (i  \l%), 
than  an  ox  or  an  ass  to  its  owner.     So  utterly  corrupt 
are  they  that  they  hate  Jehovah  for  his  very  holiness, 
and  refuse  to  worship  him  to  whom  they  owe  their  exist- 
ence as  a  nation. 

Why  lay  yourselves  open  to  further  punishment  by  Resulting  in 
your  continued  apostasy  ?    You  are  bruised  and  mangled  calamity 
from  head  to  foot, — a  mass  of  festering  sores,  left  with-      '  ^^  * 
out  attention.     Our  land  is  a  desert,  ravaged  by  foreign 
troops,  as  desolate  as  the  site  of  ancient  Sodom.  ^     Jeru- 
salem is  yet  spared,  but  is  as  isolated  as  a  watcher's 

1  This  alteration  of  the  text  is  supported  by  many  scholars.     It  then  be- 
comes a  familiar  simile. 

103 


Isaiah  i  :  8  Messages  of  the 

booth  in  a  large  vineyard  or  cucumber-field,  or  as  a  city 

closely  besieged.     Only  Jehovah' s  mercy  has  prevented 

our  utter  destruction. 

ritel  b°ut^^        Do  you  think  to  keep  Jehovah's  favor  by  a  lavish  use 

active  right-  of  sacrifices,    O  wicked  people  !     Listen  to  divine  in- 

eousness  is  ^       *■ 

what  God     struction.     Your  costly  and  constant  offerings  of  various 

desires  i  •     j  j  •   i  •         • 

(i :  10-17).  kmds  I  do  not  wish.  Your  coming  into  my  presence  is 
a  mere  form,  your  mechanical  performance  of  your  re- 
ligious duties  a  desecration.  Every  one  of  your  gifts  is 
detestable  to  me,  your  presence  at  sacred  seasons  unen- 
durable, for  you  bring  iniquity  with  you.  Even  your 
prayers  are  offensive  and  useless,  for  your  uplifted  hands 
betray  stains  of  blood.  Cleanse  yourselves,  put  away 
evil,  do  deeds  of  righteousness,  give  every  human  being 
his  rights.     Then  Jehovah  can  show  you  favor. 

He  is  will-         Let   US  comc  to  a  mutual  understanding.      Do   not 

ingtopar-        ,  .  ^     ,.    .  --        •  tt  i 

don  all  who  despair  of  divine  forgiveness.  However  grossly  you 
him  ^  have  sinned,  you  can  be  made  free  from  stain,  if  you  will 
(I- 1  -20).     jjevote  yourselves  heartily  to  Jehovah's  service.     If  you 

continue  to  rebel,  you  must  take  the  awful  consequences, 

for  Jehovah' s  word  cannot  be  broken. 
Jerusalem's       Q  my  beloved  city,  must  I  utter  a  wail  for  you  as  one 

degeneracy 

(1 :  21-23).     dead  ?  ^     Instead  of  being  a  home  for  those  who  practice 
^      .       righteousness,  you  shelter  offenders  against  God's  right- 

1  A  thought  cleverly  expressed  in  the  Hebrew  by  putting  verse  21  into 
elegiac  meter. 

104 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  8  :  19 

eous  law.  Nothing  real  and  genuine  is  left.  Your 
princes  have  no  principle.  ^  They  connive  at  extortion, 
and  neglect  the  cause  of  those  who  cannot  bribe  them. 

Therefore  the  Lord  Jehovah,  the  defender  of  Israel' s  Jehovah's 

purpose  to 

true  interests,    having  discovered  that  Jerusalem' s  real  rest(ve  her 
adversaries  are  her  own  wicked  people,  will  purge  away 
these  evil-doers,  and  restore  to  authority  true  rulers  who 
have  her  best  interests  at  heart.     Thus  the  city,  as  of 
old,  shall  become  a  stronghold  of  righteousness. 

By  this  righteous  judgment  God  shall  redeem  his  city 
and  those  faithful  ones  who  turn  to  him  repentant,  but 
the  rebellious  he  will  destroy.  At  that  time,  all  remain-  '.  ■  •  \,,' 
ing  confidence  in  sacred  trees  or  other  emblems  of 
nature  worship  shall  disappear,  for  superstition  will  be 
as  dead  as  a  sapless  oak  or  a  waterless  garden.  It  will 
destroy  itself  unheeded. 

7.    The  Bright  Future  for  those  who  Trust  in  God 
(8  :  19  to  9  :  7) 

During   the   dark   days   which   followed    the    events  The  despair 
already  described,   God  gave  me  this  message  for  my  of  the  God- 
faithful  disciples.    "When  the  people  in  defiant  despair  people^" 
urge  you  to  have  recourse  to  necromancers  and  wizards,  ^^  '  ^^'^^^* 
be  bold  to  point  out  to  them  the  disloyalty  and  folly  of 

1  This  chapter  is  full  of  similar  plays  on  words,  which  cannot  be  ren- 
dered. 

105 


Isaiah  8  :  20  Messages  of  the 

such  action.  They  will  then  remember  my  teachings, 
although  it  will  be  too  late  to  profit  by  them.  Wander- 
ing through  the  land,  discouraged  and  faint  with  hunger, 
they  will  be  goaded  to  fury  by  their  sufferings.  In 
whatever  direction  they  look  for  help,  no  ray  of  hope 
A  gleam  of  -will  brighten  the  gloom.      But  for  those  who  know  Jeho- 

hope  (9:1).  ^  ^  .  ,  •' 

vah's  purpose,  and  can  trust  him,  a  brighter  prospect 
dawns.  The  land  of  Zebulun  and  Naphtali,  already 
feeling  the  depressing  humiliation  and  hopeless  prospect 
of  a  captive  land,  shall  be  the  first  to  see  the  light  of  the 
The  sure      j^ew  day.     All  shall  share  in  the  blessing  ;  there  shall 

deliverance  •'  ° 

from  the       be  no  bounds  to  their  joy,  for  the  galling  dominion  of 

dominion  of 

Ass>Tia        Assyria  shall  be  suddenly  broken.     Yes,  every  relic  of 

(9  •  2-5)-        ^^  armies  which  trample  on  the  liberties  of  Canaan, 

and  drench  its  soil  with  blood,   shall  be  given  to  the 

flames  in  anticipation  of  the  glorious  reign  of  our  deliv- 

Thedeiiv-     erer.      He  shall  be  bom  to  rule  and  lead  this  people. 

Prince  of      and,  in  grateful  recognition  of  his  character  and  deeds, 

{^6%).       his  people   shall  name  him,    because  of  his  wisdom, 

•  Wonderful     Counselor  ;  '    because    of    his     strength, 

'  Hero-God  ;  '     because    of    his   constant    care   of    his 

people,    '  Father   of    Eternity,'    and,    to    describe    the 

nature    and   effects   of    his   rule,     'Prince    of    Peace.' 

His  authority  will  be  everywhere   recognized,    and  his 

reign    profoundly   peaceful,    for   he   will    establish    his 

throne  forever  by  the  exercise  of  justice  and  righteous- 

106 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  23 :  14 

ness.     Do  you  question  this  promise  ?    Jehovah' s  honor 
is  pledged  to  its  performance." 


A    PROPHECY    REGARDING    PHOENICIA  (23  :  I -1 8) 

When  Shalmaneser  IV,  about  725  B.  C,  was  laying  The  coming 
siege  to  Tyre,  the  prophet  uttered  this  message  concern-  XyTe"  ^ 
ing   that   city  of  merchants:     "Mourn,    O   homeward  ^'^^' ^"^^" 
bound  merchantmen,  over  the  disaster  reported  to  you 
at    Cyprus.      The    harbors    are    closed    against    you. 
Phoenicia,   so  long  enriched  by  traffic,  whose   harvest- 
fields  were  in  Egypt,  is  helpless.     The  lonely  sea  will 
not  acknowledge  her  children  nourished  on  her  bosom. 
Egypt  herself  shall  be  seized  with  a  panic. 

"OTyrians,   make  haste  to  flee  to  distant  Tarshish.  Because  Je- 

hovah 

Tyre  is  no  longer  the  happy,  enterprising  city  of  olden  purposes  to 
times,  the  maker  of  kings,   the  home  of  merchants  as  her  (23 : 6-9). 
honored  as  princes.      Jehovah  has  humiliated  her  be- 
cause her  greatness  was  never  ascribed  to  him,  the  true 
Source  of  all. 

*'  It  will  be  useless  to  escape,  for  Jehovah' s  power  can  She  will 
reach  over  the  sea.      Neither  in  her  colonies  nor  in  chance  to 
Cyprus  will  the  fugitives  from  the  ruined  city  find  a(23Tio-i4). 
resting-place.     The  recent  ruthless  spoliation  of  Chaldea 
by  the  Assyrian  takes  away  her  hope  of  deliverance. 
107 


Isaiah  23  :  15-18 
Tyre's  « '  for  many  years — the  length  of  a  dynasty — Tyre  shall 

future  ser-  ^   ^  .,,       .  ,  ■,-,  i 

vice  for        be  in  oblivion.      Then   she  will   sing  the  well-known 

Jehovah  ^        ,        ^       ^■,       ^ 

(23  :  15-18).    harlot  s  ballad  : 

Take  thy  lute  and  go  about  the  city, 
Harlot,  forgotten  now  by  men  ! 

Play  thou  with  skill,  sing  many  a  ditty 
To  win  remembrance  then.i 

Thus  regaining  her  traffic  with  mankind,  she  shall 
consecrate  her  gains  to  Jehovah  and  to  the  use  of  his 
faithful  servants." 

»  Cheyne's  version. 


108 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MICAH 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MICAH 


THE   PEASANT   PROPHET  OF  JUDAH 

While  the  prophet  Isaiah  was  studying  his  country' s 
need  from  the  point  of  view  of  a  broad-minded  states- 
man conversant  with  her  ambitions  and  in  close  touch 
with  her  leaders,  there  arose  in  the  obscure  village  of 
Moresheth,  near  the  border  of  Philistia,  a  man  of  God 
who  surveyed  the  tendencies  and  dangers  of  the  time 
from  the  standpoint  of  a  man  of  the  people.  Realizing 
even  more  keenly  than  his  aristocratic  colleague  the 
bitter  and  heartless  tyranny  of  the  upper  classes,  Micah 
proposed  a  more  drastic  requital.  In  his  earliest  prophe- 
cies, when  he  probably  was  yet  a  young  man,  and  before 
he  had  gained  his  broadest  outlook,  his  message  of  judg- 
ment was  as  unreserved  as  that  of  Amos.  It  is  an 
interesting  illustration  of  the  fact  that  God  gradually 
revealed  his  purposes  even  to  his  servants  the  prophets, 
to  note  that,  while  Micah,  viewing  only  the  immediate 
situation,  affirmed  in  a  way  that  carried  conviction  to 
the  heart  of  his  hearers  ^  the  certain  ruin  of  Jerusalem, 

1  Compare  with  Micah  3 :  la  the  explanation  in  Jen  36  :  X7-X9. 
Ill 


Micah  Messages  of  the 

Isaiah,  his  thoughts  directed  to  the  plans  of  Jehovah 
for  his  people,  affirmed  with  equal  confidence  that 
Jerusalem  was  secure  from  hostile  attack.  Each  was  a 
true  prophet,  but  not  a  prophet  of  the  whole  truth. 

The  conditions  of  Judah,  when  Micah  first  began  to 
prophesy,  were,  indeed,  such  as  to  stir  a  prophet' s  soul. 
If  Hezekiah  ascended  the  throne  about  727  B.  C.  he  had 
not  been  reigning  long.  Isaiah' s  work  as  a  social  re- 
former had  met  with  scant  success.  Unable  even  to 
prevent  Ahaz  and  the  people  from  entering  into  alliance 
with  Tiglath-pileser,  he  had,  in  the  main,  given  himself 
for  the  last  dozen  years  to  the  instruction  of  his  disciples. 
The  social  wrongs,  which  he  had  first  attacked,  became 
more  and  more  marked.  Misuse  of  power,  indifference 
to  the  claims  of  human  brotherhood,  and  wanton  luxury, 
characterized  the  daily  life  of  the  city.  To  Micah,  the 
villager,  the  unjust  treatment  of  the  helpless  poor  by 
men  of  wealth  and  power  is  the  sin  that  cries  aloud  to 
heaven.  He  has  but  little  to  say  about  idolatry  or  dis- 
play or  immorality. 

Were  the  first  three  chapters  all  we  have  of  Micah' s 
utterances,  it  would  be  easy  to  draw  the  prophet' s  por- 
trait He  would  be  much  like  Amos — brusk,  earnest, 
eloquent, — a  rugged,  simple,  clear-eyed  messenger  of 
judgment  So  strongly  marked  are  these  characteristics 
that  some  scholars  are  inclined  to  deny  that  chapters 
112 


Earlier  Prophets  Micah 

4-7  are  from  Micah.  When  we  recognize,  however,  the 
probability  that  Micah  and  Isaiah  would  become  known 
to  each  other,  and  that  the  younger  prophet  would 
gradually  come  into  sympathy  with  the  broader  and 
more  spiritual  tone  of  his  predecessors,  especially  of 
Hosea,  it  is  no  longer  difficult  to  understand  his  change 
of  tone  and  outlook.  While  it  is  not  likely  that  such 
different  messages  as  those  of  chapters  1-3  and  chapters 
4-5,  would  be  uttered  in  direct  succession,  it  is  wholly 
probable  that  they  would  spring  from  the  varied  pros- 
pect of  two  distinct  periods  of  his  life. 

The  Book  of  Micah  represents  utterances  of  very  dif- 
ferent dates.  Chapters  1-3  can  be  dated  with  reasonable 
assurance  not  far  from  722  B.  C,  since  the  first  chapter 
represents  the  fall  of  Samaria  as  either  imminent  or 
recent,  while  the  other  two  supplement  and  explain  the 
first.  Verses  12  and  13  of  chapter  2  are  evidently  out  of 
place.  They  are  a  fragment  of  some  separate  sermon, 
and  break,  in  their  present  position,  the  very  close  con- 
nection of  thought  They  seem  to  belong  with  verses 
6  and  7  of  chapter  4,  which  refer  to  the  restoration  from 
exile.  Chapters  4  and  5  refer  consistently  to  Judah'  s  fu- 
ture, but  are  made  up  from  a  number  of  separate  prophe- 
cies. If  they  were  gathered  up  by  Micah  himself,  they 
probably  represent  sermons  delivered  not  far  from  701 
B.  C.  Chapter  6  is  not  easily  dated.  By  many  it  is 
113 


Micah  Messages  of  the 

referred  to  the  reign  of  Manasseh,  but  the  grounds  for 
the  judgment  are  very  slight  It  may  quite  as  well  be 
earlier.  The  first  six  verses  of  chapter  7  reflect  a  condi- 
tion of  persecution  which  can  hardly  be  earlier  than 
Manasseh' s  time.  The  remainder  of  the  chapter  can 
hardly  have  been  put  together  earlier  than  the  close  of 
the  exile.  It  is  usually  considered  a  late  appendix  to 
Micah' s  prophecies. 

The  prophecies  of  Micah  are  remarkable  for  indepen- 
dence of  thought,  and  for  beauty  and  force  of  expression. 
Like  Amos,  he  is  a  peasant  only  in  his  surroundings  and 
his  point  of  view  ;  he  is  a  master  of  artistic  and  effective 
rhetoric.  His  use  of  paranomasia  is  unique,  and  his 
reminiscences  of  earlier  prophetic  writings  unobtrusive. 
If  it  is  safe,  with  the  majority  of  students  of  his  writings, 
to  consider  that  the  bulk  of  this  book  can  be  ascribed  to 
him,  it  follows  that  he  was  fully  worthy  of  a  place  by  the 
side  of  Amos,  Hosea,  and  Isaiah.  Unsparing  in  criti- 
cism when  plain  speech  was  needed,  he  could  dis- 
criminate. Beginning  as  a  prophet  of  judgment,  he 
became  a  prophet  of  restoration,  of  divine  forgiveness, 
and  of  Israel' s  future  glory.  No  man  of  God  in  the  days 
before  the  exile  did  more  than  Micah  to  give  his  people 
confidence  in  the  gracious  purpose  and  the  loving  care 
of  Jehovah. 

As  he  came  to  maturity  in  his  village  home,  he  could 
114 


Earlier  Prophets  Micah  i  :  4 

look  across  the  busy  Philistine  plain  and  observe  the 
currents  of  commerce  and  war  which  flowed  from  the 
coast  region  toward  Jerusalem.  With  his  keen  apprecia- 
tion of  the  abnormal  social  conditions  in  Judah,  and  his 
grasp  of  the  true  ideals  of  Jehovah,  and  his  acquaint- 
ance with  the  movements  of  the  day,  we  can  understand 
why  he  felt  sure  that  the  time  had  come  to  utter  a  warn- 
ing message  to  his  countrymen  before  it  should  be  too 
late  to  save  their  land  from  God*  s  invading  army. 


II 

JEHOVAH'S   CERTAIN  JUDGMENT   AGAINST   SAMARIA 
AND   JUDAH    (l   :  2-16) 

Listen,  O  nations  of  the  earth,  Jehovah  of  Israel  sum-  The  whole 
mons  you  to  witness  his  dealings  with  the  people  ofmoned"™" 
his  choice,  in  order  that  you  may  understand  his  provi-  holTh'sleif- 
dential  purpose  for  the  world.      He  is  about  to  manifest  manifesta- 

*        ^  tion  (i  :2-4). 

himself  in  judgment,  coming  from  his  dwelling-place  on 
high.  His  pathway  is  the  tempest.  Beneath  his  tread 
the  very  mountains  are  dissolved,  as  wax  melts  before  a 
fervent  heat,  and  the  valleys  are  rent  in  every  direction, 
like  water  dashed  over  a  precipice. 

He  comes  to  punish  the  sins  of  his  own  chosen  people, 
who  deliberately  ignore  his  will     They  cannot  escape 
"5 


Micah  1 :  5  Messages  of  the 

The  sins  of  responsibility  ;  for  the  capitaPcities,  Samaria  and  Jeru- 
judah  the  salem,  which  should  be  centers  of  moral  stimulus  and 
cause  (1 . 5).  j-gijgJQ^g  instruction  for  each  portion  of  our  nation,  are 

but  sources  of  corruption  and  ungodliness.* 
The  sweep-       This  is  the  reason  for  Samaria*  s  sad  overthrow.     The 

ing  judg- 
ment against  proud  city,  a  "watch-tower"  for  strength,  far  famed  for 

(1:6,7).  beauty,  shall  become  a  lonely  mound,  with  its  sloping 
sides  turned  into  a  vineyard.  The  huge  stones  of  her 
costly  palaces  shall  fill  the  valley  below,  while  the  foun- 
dations lie  exposed  to  wind  and  weather.  The  idols  in 
which  she  trusted  shall  be  shattered,  their  costly  offer- 
ings and  adornments  destroyed  by  fire.  These  treasures, 
earned  through  her  shameful  unfaithfulness  to  Jehovah, 
her  true  lord  and  husband,  shall  be  devoted  by  her  con- 
querors to  their  deities, 
fete  t^hreat-  When  the  significance  of  this  judgment  comes  over 
ens  jerusa-  me,  I  am  in  despair.  No  ordinary  symbol  of  grief  ex- 
presses my  emotion.  I  could  walk  about  like  a  captive, 
barefooted  and  scantily  attired.  I  could  rival  the  jackal 
or  the  ostrich  in  their  distressing  cries,  for  Samaria's 
punishment  is  but  an  index  of  a  wickedness  in  which 
she  does  not  stand  alone.  The  blow  that  falls  upon  her 
must  fall  on  Judah  too  ;  it  will  be  felt  in  Jerusalem  itself 

1  In  verse  5  the  reading  "  sins,"  instead  of  "  high  places,"  is  made 
probable,  not  merely  by  the  ancient  versions,  but  by  regard  for  parallelism 
and  context. 

116 


Earlier  Prophets  Micah  i :  14 

I  seem   to   see  a  conquering  army  making  its  way  Its  approach 

toward  the  capital.     What  distress  it  will  bring  upon  the  coast  to  jL' 

border  villages  !     In  their  names  ^  I  can  trace  omens  of  bdngToI'to 

disaster,  woe,   and   despair.     Let  not  Gath  (Tell-town)  S^^^^^^*  J;^- 

spread  abroad  the  dreadful  news.     You  who  live  in  Ac-  "^"°"y 
^  (i :  10-16). 

cho  (Weep-town),  restrain  your  tears  ;  in  Beth-le-Aphrah 

(House  of  Dust),  cover  yourself  with  dust  in  token  of 
your  grief  and  disgrace.  O  lady  of  Shaphir  (Beauty- 
town),  pass  along  in  the  captive  train  exposed  to  shame. 
The  citizen  of  Saanan  (March-town)  will  not  come  forth 
to  fight,  for  Beth-ezel's  (Neighbor-town)  lamentation 
will  fill  you  with  despair.  The  inhabitress  of  Maroth 
(Bitternesses)  cannot  contain  herself  because  of  her 
anxiety,  as  she  hopes  for  a  good  fortune  which  will 
never  come  ;  for  Jehovah  will  bring  the  evil  to  the  very 
gates  of  Jerusalem,  and  none  shall  escape.  Yoke  the 
chariot  to  the  steed  {rekesh),  for  your  time  of  reckoning 
has  now  come,  O  dwellers  in  Lachish,  who  have  so  often 
tempted  Judah  to  traffic  with  Egypt,  and  to  trust  in  her 
aid  instead  of  that  of  Jehovah.     To  Moresheth  "-Gath, 

1  This  paragraph  contains  a  remarkable  series  of  paranomasias  or  plays 
apon  the  names  of  villages,  some  not  to  be  identified  to-day,  supposably 
in  the  track  of  the  invader.  These  puns  cannot  be  imitated  in  English 
with  success.  Some  depend  on  the  sense,  some  on  sound.  The  text 
requires  some  emendation,  but  the  general  meaning  is  quite  clear. 

2  The  play  here  is  probably  with  the  similarly  sounding  word  tntort^ 
sheth,  which  means  "  the  betrothed  one." 

117 


Micah  1 :  14  Messages  of  the 

O  Judah,  you  will  have  to  give  a  marriage  portion  as  she 
is  dragged  away  by  the  conqueror.  The  resistance  of 
the  warriors  of  Achzib  to  the  enemy  will  be  as  disap- 
pointing to  the  rulers  of  Judah  as  a  dried-up  water- 
course 1  to  the  thirsty  traveler.  To  thee,  O  inhabitress 
of  Maresha  (Possession),  I  shall  bring  one  who  will 
make  thee  his  possession  ;  to  AduUam  *  shall  come  for 
refuge  the  nobles  in  whom  Judah  takes  delight  Alas  ! 
O  mother  Judah,  make  manifest  your  deep  grief,  for 
your  beloved  children  are  destined  to  captivity  in  a  dis- 
tant land. 

Ill 
THE  FLAGRANT  CRIMES  OF  JUDAH's  LEADERS 

(2  :  i-ii  ;  3  :  1-12) 

I.    The  Sins  of  the  Wealthy  a7id  Powerful  (2  :  i-ii) 
The  greed  of     Woc  to  thosc  men   of  wealth   so   covetous  of  great 

the  landed  ** 

proprietors   estates  that  even  in  the  hours  devoted  to  sleep  they  are 
(2:1, 2).        ,       .  „  .         ,      ,      , 

plannmg  evil  measures  agamst  the  hapless  peasantry, 

which  at  daybreak  they  carry  out  with  a  merciless  exer- 
cise of  force.  Whatever  they  desire  they  seize,  whether 
land  or  houses.      No  scruples  restrain  them,   but,   by 

1  The  Hebrew  reads,  "  the  houses  of  Achzib  shall  be  an  acktab." 
'The  word  "  AduUam  "  suggests  "  ad  ullam,''  to  their  yokt. 
118 


Earlier  Prophets  Micah  2 :  7 

fraud  and  violence,  they  crush  and  ruin  the  freeholders 
of  Judah. 

The  message  of  Jehovah  to  a  nation  which  permits  Their  pun- 

,     ,  ,  .        ,  ,^  .  ,  ,  ishment  wiU 

such  brutal  tyranny  is  clear.     He  promises  that  he  too  be  in  kind 
will  plan  an  evil,  the  issue  of  which  you  shall  not  con-  ^^ '  ^'^^' 
trol.     It  will  be  a  distressing  captivity,  preceded  by  the 
loss  of  all  this  property  which  you  have  wrongfully  ac- 
quired.    In  the  day  of  your  humiliation,  your  own  lamen- 
tation will  be  echoed  in  mockery  by  your  brutal  captors  : 

*'  My  people' s  property  one  measureth  off  with  the  surveyor's  line, 
And  none  giveth  it  back ; 
To  our  captors  one  divideth  our  fields, 
We  be  utterly  spoiled."  ^ 

Moreover,  the  land  you  thus  lose  will  never  be  re- 
stored to  you  in  the  year  of  general  redistribution.  By 
bringing  on  the  nation' s  destruction,  you  have  made  this 
impossible. 

Do  I  hear  you  exclaiming,  in  angry  repudiation  of  my  Their  pro- 
charge  :  ''Cease  this  constant  prating  about  us  and  our  such 
affairs.     You  utter  nothing  but  reproaches.    What  is  the  (^2??") 
justification  ^  for  pronouncing  such  a  sentence  ?    Are  we 
not  sons  of  Jacob  ?     Has  Jehovah  become  unable  to 

1  A  rearrangement   of  an  obscure  passage,  following  the  SeptuagJnt, 
which  at  least  suggests  the  elegiac  meter. 

2  An  uncertain  interpretation.    Some  expositors  take  verse  7  with  what 
follows. 

119 


Micah  2 : 8 


Messages  of  the 


The 

prophet's 
rejoinder 
(a  :  8-10). 


The  secret 
of  their  ob- 
tuseness 
(.  :  II). 


fulfil  his  promises  ?  Are  we  not  doing  our  duty  by  him 
as  upright  citizens  ? ' ' 

Ah,  hypocrites,  what  sort  of  uprightness  do  you  show  ? 
You  ^  are  the  foes  of  God' s  people,  committing  all  man- 
ner of  outrage  upon  the  peaceful  and  defenseless,  regard- 
ing them  as  prey,  even  separating  mothers  from  their 
children,  and  selling  each  into  hopeless  slavery  in  a  for- 
eign land.  Begone  to  your  justly  deserved  exile  !  Such 
outrageous  deeds  defile  the  land,  which  should  be  holy. 
It  is  no  resting-place  for  such  as  you.  Your  iniquity  in- 
vites only  God's  destructive  judgment. 

It  is  easy  to  understand  your  moral  obtuseness.  You 
accept  as  divine  only  what  you  wish  to  hear.  One  who 
predicts  for  you  fleshly  gratifications  you  welcome  with 
enthusiasm  as  Jehovah' s  prophet ;  one  who  utters  warn- 
ings for  repentance  and  reform  you  ignore. 


2.    The  Sins  of  the  Magistrates  and  Leaders  (3  :  1-12) 

Themagis-       Q  ye  that  rule  this  people  of  Judah,  who  have  the 
plunder  the  power  to  promote  their  highest  interests,  to  whom  they 
(3  : 1-4).       look  for  just  judgment,  how  utterly  you  misuse  your  au- 
thority!     Far  from  being  defenders  of  the  right,   you 
exult  in  oppressive  and  unjust  deeds.     You  flay  your 
helpless  victims  as  cruel  conquerors  treat  their  captives  ; 

1  Adopting  a  reliable  emendation,  which  reads,  "  But  ye  to  my  people 
are,"  etc. 

120 


Earlier  Prophets  Micah  3:11 

you  devour  them  like  cannibals.  You  are  entirely  for- 
getful of  your  duties  ;  you  think  only  of  yourselves. 
But  in  the  day  when  Jehovah  manifests  himself  to  give 
to  every  one  his  just  deserts,  he  will  be  deaf  to  your 
agonized  appeal  for  mercy. 

Jehovah  has  a  message  too  for  the  prophets  who  abet  The 
such  wrong-doing.     As  long  as  their  mouths  are  kept  mefcenarj'^* 
full   they   predict   prosperity   and   happiness   for   their  ^^ '  ^'^^' 
patrons  ;  against  those  who  refuse  to  bribe  them  they 
encourage  all  manner  of  opposition.     They  are  utterly 
selfish  and  mercenary.      ♦ '  Such  insincerity  will  destroy 
your  moral  vision.     God' s  messages  you  will  be  unable 
to  read.     That  great  day  shall   be   for   you  a  day  of 
humiliation  and  mourning,  for  every  one  will  know  that 
Jehovah  repudiates  you  as  his   representatives."      To  The  true 
me,  however,  his  true  servant,  he  will  give  power  from  ?om?alted 
on  high,  and  wisdom  and  courage,  that  I  may  be  able  to  ^^  "  ^^* 
declare  to  my  people  their  unfaithfulness  to  God,  and  to 
demand  repentance  and  reform. 

O  rulers  of  Judah,  among  whom  justice  is  divided,  The  leaders 
and  that  which  is  straightforward  made  crooked,  who  use  fes^sfy  coT' 
your  legal  authority  to  commit  judicial  murders  in  order  judgmem 
that  you  may  acquire  the  means  for  building  stately  pal-  (fi'^VJ)" 
aces,  you  magistrates  and  priests  and  prophets,  who  do 
your  duty  only  when  bribed,  and  lend  yourselves  to  any 
injustice,  do  you  now  dare  to  claim  Jehovah's  sanction 

121 


Micah  3:12  _         Messages  of  the 

and  protecting  presence  ?  Can  you  not  see  that  no  city, 
however  sacred  in  name,  can  stand  on  such  foundations  ? 
This  is  Jehovah's  message  to  you  :  "If  you  do  not 
amend  your  evil-doings,  ^  so  sweeping  a  destruction  shall 
come  upon  Jerusalem  that  all  signs  of  habitation  will 
disappear.  A  part  may  be  cleared  for  cultivation,  a 
part  will  lie  in  ruins.  The  temple  mountain  will  be  as 
forsaken  as  a  hill  in  the  midst  of  a  forest. ' ' 


IV 

VISIONS  OF  THE  TRIUMPHANT  FUTURE  FOR  THE 
JEWISH  RACE  RESTORED  FROM  EXILE  (4,   5) 

The  future        Recall,  O  my  people,  the  beautiful  forecast  of  Zion's 

supremacy 

of  Zion  service  to  God  and  the  world  which  many  of  you  cher- 
•  ^*4^  jg^  jj^  ^j^g  distant  future  the  temple  mount  shall  be 
exalted  above  all  the  earth,  every  nation  shall  acknowl- 
edge Jehovah's  law.  From  every  quarter  they  shall 
flock  to  Jerusalem  to  be  instructed  in  the  true  principles 
and  practices  of  religion.  Warfare  will  then  come  to 
an  end,  for  even  the  most  distant  nations  will  accept 
Jehovah's  arbitration  in  their  disputes.  The  weapons 
of  war  will  be  converted  into  implements  of  husbandry, 
the  science  of  warfare  will  be  forgotten,  men  shall  every- 
where dwell  in  secure  possession  of  their  property. 

iThe  reference  to  this  prediction  in  Jeremiah  26  :  17-19  shows  that  it 
was  to  be  interpreted  as  conditional. 

122 


Earlier  Prophets  Micah  4  :  lo 

Alas !  as  yet  this  is  but  a  vision  of  what  is  to  be.     Now  The  con- 

,  .  1         1  •    1     •  1  11  trast  of  the 

every  nation  has  its  own  god,  which  it  acknowledges  ;  present  time 
but  we  will   both   now   and   evermore  be   faithful   to  ^^ '  ^'' 
Jehovah. 

In  that   future  day  Jehovah   promises   that  he  will  After  exile 
gather  together  the  crippled  and  scattered  exiles.      He  nant"  shall 
will  heal  and  forgive  them,  and  build  them  up  into  the  powerful 
mighty  nation  of  his  purpose,  and  over  them  he  shall  "^^f  6,%). 
reign  in  Jerusalem  forever. 

"O  Israel,"  he  has  promised,  "I  will  surely  gather  its deiiver- 

^  ance  from 

together  my  scattered  people.     They  shall  assemble,  a  captivity 
great   multitude.     From  their  prison  shall  the  barrier-  ^  *  ^^'  ^^  ' 
breaker   deliver    them.      They   shall    force    their  way 
through    the    gates    and   follow   their   lord   and   king, 
Jehovah,   who  will   lead   the  van,   as   in   the  days   of 
yore. 

But  thou,   O  Jerusalem,   strong  in   thy  defenses,  yet  The  Dayidic 
standing  in  the  land  as  solitary  as  a  shepherd' s  watch-  must  be  pre- 
tower  on  the  frontier,  do  not  lose  heart  entirely.     The  aLressing 
Davidic  kingdom  shall  recover  its  ancient  glory,  but  not  T^^^Zxo). 
immediately.     I  perceive  a  time  of  deep  distress  and 
anguish,  ending  in  captivity.     This  is  but  the  just  ret- 
ribution for  your  iniquities.       Expelled  from  the  city, 
camping  in  the  open  field,  carried  off  captive  [even  to 
Babylon],  you  will  be  rescued  by  Jehovah  and  deliv- 
ered from  the  power  of  your  foes. 
123 


Micah  4 :  ir  '         Messages  of  the 

The  hour  of      The   time  will   come  when  the  nations  which   now 

Zion's 

triumph        attack  Judah  with  scornful  confidence,  insulting  both  her 

'^ '  "^^  '     and  her  sovereign  Lord,   shall  find  that  they   are   but 

sheaves   for   Zion  to  thresh.      At   Jehovah's  summons 

she  will  tread  this  human  harvest,  devoting  to  her  Lord 

the  yield  thereof. 

The  insulted     Again  the  invading  army  assembles  to  besiege  Jerusa- 

be  delivered  lem,  the  city  is  hemmed  in,  its  ruler  utterly  helpless,  and 

by  the  shep-  •         i  /-^  •  i  •  •  c 

herd  Prince  exposcd  ^  to  gross  msult.  Over  agamst  this  picture  of 
fs  :  i-T»^  what  we  may  at  present  expect,  I  place  the  appearance 
of  the  promised  King,  the  second  David,  destined  to 
come  from  the  obscure  village  of  Bethlehem,  and  yet  to  be 
heir  of  Israel' s  past  glory.  [Not  until  Immanuel  appears 
(Isaiah  7  :  14)  and  the  exiles  of  Israel  are  gathered  shall 
this  be].^  Born  among  the  people,  he  will  watch  over 
them  like  a  faithful  shepherd,  ministering  to  their  needs 
and  proving  their  sufficient  defense  because  Jehovah' s 
strength  and  majesty  are  his.  His  dominion  will  reach 
unto  the  ends  of  the  earth,  he  will  be  the  Prince  of 
Peace  (Isa.  9  ;  6). 
Thedestruc-     When  the  Assyrian  then  ventures  to  invade  our  land, 

tion  of  ^ 

Assyria's      there  will  be  no  lack  of  brave  defenders.     Led  by  the 

power 

(s :  5^-6).     shepherd  prince,  these  shall  shepherd  Assyria  with  the 

1  Another  play  on  words.    "  With  a  rod  {shevei)  they  smite  the  judge 
{shophei). 
3  This  verse  seems  to  break  the  close  connection  between  verses  2  and  4. 
124 


Earlier  Prophets  Micah  5:15 

sword.     They  shall  not  only  drive  the  enemy  from  our 
borders,  but  will  be  able  to  lay  waste  their  country. 

The  Jewish  race,  when  redeemed,  shall  be  Jehovah's  The  "rem- 
instrument  in  dealing  with  mankind.     To  some  peoples  beneficent^ 
her  influence  shall  be  as  beneficent  as  the  dew,  which  is  five  (tf;™*]! 
subject  to  none  other  than  Jehovah's   laws;   to   other 
nations,  she  shall  be  as  fiercely  destructive  and  irresisti- 
ble as  a  lion.      O  Israel,  may  your  hand  be  strong  to  cut 
off  all  your  enemies  ? 

In  Jehovah's  day,  he  promises  that  all  that  has  tended  In  Jehovah's 
to  demoralize  our   nation   shall   be   done   away.     The  demoralizes 
agencies  of  your  independence  and  pride— the  war  horses  «Se  ^^*" 
and  chariots  and  large  cities  and  strong  fortresses— will  ^^ '  '°*'5^- 
be  completely  destroyed.     Your  sorcerers  and  diviners 
will  no  longer  be  available.     All  the  symbols  of  false 
forms  of  worship— the  idols  of  metal  or  stone  or  wood, 
the  pillars  and  asherahs— will  be  removed.     And  then 
will  he  take  signal  vengeance  upon  the  nations  which 
ignore  his  sovereignty. 


125 


Micah  6 :  I  '  Messages  of  the 


LATER  SERMONS  MOURNING  JUDAH*S 
DEGENERACY  (6  :  I  to  7  :  6) 

I.    The  Human  and  the  Divine  Conception  of 
True  Religion  (6  :  i-8) 

The  moun-       q  people  of  Judah,  listen  to  the  word  of  Jehovah. 

tains  sum-  tr      r  j 

moned  to      He  summons  you  to  defend  yourself  against  his  charges 

hear  the  .  i        •  i  mi 

controversy  in  the  presencc  of  the  mountains.     O  everlasting  hills 

h?JI?and'  and  enduring  foundations  of  the  earth,  as  intelligent  wit- 

(6^:  ?,^ 2^!^  nesses,  he  calls  upon  you  to  hear  the  controversy. 
Jehovah's        Q  my  people,  what  complaint  have  you  against  me  ? 

accusation  ^    ^  tit  i  -»      tt 

of  Israel's     In  what  respect  have  I  burdened  you?     How  can  you 
ungrate  u  -   ^^^^  ^^^^  ^^^^  ^^  without  excuse,  when  you  remember 
(6:3-5)-       jjQ^  J  delivered  you  from  cruel  bondage  in  the  land  of 
Egypt,  gave  you  illustrious  leaders,  brought  to  nought 
through  Balaam,  the  seer,  the  crafty  designs  of  Balak, 
the  Moabitish  king,   and  manifested  my  righteous  and 
friendly  purpose  on  both  sides  of  the  Jordan  ?^ 
The  reply  of     Q  Jehovah,  we  Cannot  but  admit  our  guilt,  we  have 
scrence-'       forgotten  and  neglected  thee.     How  can  we  make  our 
SioJant^"*  peace  !      Shall   we   present   ourselves   in   the   temple  ? 
X^fS,i)'     ^"^^  we  bring  more  valuable  beasts  for  the  burnt  offer- 
ing ?    Will   it  please   thee   if  we  offer  rams  by  thou- 
sands and  oil  in  rivers  ?     Shall  we  make  our  last  and 

1'*  From  Shittim  unto  Gilgal "  is  regarded  by  many  scholars  as  a  gloss. 
126 


Earlier  Prophets  Micah  6:12 

costliest  gift — our  first-born  son  ?     Will  such  devotion 
win  thy  blessing  and  expiate  our  sin  ? 

O  my  people,  you  need  not  have  been  in  such  igno-  The  proph- 
rance  of  Jehovah' s  desire.  None  of  these  things  doth  he  (6  : 8). 
really  require  of  you.  They  have  no  moral  value  in 
themselves.  What  he  demands,  as  an  evidence  that  you 
desire  to  serve  him,  is  that  you  practice  strict  justice  in 
all  your  dealings,  cherish  a  spirit  of  sincere  love  toward 
your  fellow-men,  and  obey  his  revealed  will  in  quiet 
trustfulness. 

2.  Jehovah  s  Complaint  against  Jerusalem  (6  :  9-16) 
Hearken,  people  of  Jerusalem,  Jehovah  has  a  message  The  prophet 

,TT-         '        •,  t        1-  .  ■,  summons 

to  your  City.     Wise  is  the  man  who  listens  with  rever-  the  city  to 
ence.      Listen,  O  nation  of  Judah,  and  you  who  are  re-  ''***"  ^^  *  ^^' 
sponsible  for  its  well-being.* 

Can  I  longer,  saith  Jehovah,  overlook  the  amassing  of  Jehovah  de- 

□  ounces  her 

wealth  by  fraud  ?     Can  I  withhold  justly  deserved  pun-  as  a  city  of 
ishment  from  those  who  use  scant  measures  and  trade  (6  ?^io-*i2).°^ 
with  lying  scales  and  weights  ?    The  city  is  given  over 
to  evil  deeds  ;  her  rich  men  think  only  of  the  wrongs 
they  may  commit  with  impunity  ;  her  people  can  utter 
only  lies. 

In  such  circumstances  I  am  forced  to  do  that  which 

1  An  obscure  verse.    The  emendation  would  read  "  Hear  ye,  O  tribe 
and  its  assembly  (?) " 

127 


Micah  6:13  Messages  of  the 

Her  punish-  will  help  vou  to  repent     So  grievous  is  your  sin  that  my 

ment  will  be  ^   "^  ^ 

a  siege  judgment  must  be  terrible.  An  army  I  will  set  about 
'^^^^'  the  city.  You  shall  suffer  the  horrors  of  a  siege,  the 
lack  of  sufficient  food,  the  impossibility  of  escape,  the 
capture  of  the  property  you  try  to  save,  and  the  confis- 
cation of  your  harvests. 

Well  de-  For  your  ideals  and  methods  in  religious  and  political 

served  be-  «--ij  c  ^        •         -, 

cause  of  her  affairs  arc  those  of  the  dynasty  of  Omri.  Its  sacrifice 
(6 :  16).  of  all  other  considerations  to  its  selfish  ambition  for 
power  and  splendor  was  the  secret  of  its  bloody  end. 
Since  you  have  this  same  ambition,  it  will  just  as  cer- 
tainly bring  to  you  overwhelming  ruin,  — as  captives,  you 
will  be  the  butt  for  the  jests  of  strangers.  ^ 

3.    The  Lament  of  Righteous  Jerusalem  (7  :  i  -6) 

Her  lack  of  Alas  !  I  am  like  a  garden  after  the  fruit  has  been  gath- 
eous  citizens  ered,  or  a  vineyard  where  only  gleanings  remain.  There 
(7 .  «-4*J'  jg  nothing  left  worth  picking.  My  choicest  citizens,  the 
earnest,  loyal,  generous,  and  good  men  in  whom  I 
would  rejoice,  are  no  more.  Every  one  considers  his 
neighbor  as  his  lawful  prey,  and  hesitates  at  no  crime  to 
gain  his  end.  The  leaders  of  the  people  conspire  to- 
gether for  evil  The  best  of  them  are  like  thorns, — use- 
less except  to  inflict  pain. 

1  With  a  slight  alteration  reading,  with  the  Greek  version,  "  nations  "  for 
*'  my  people."     This  gives  a  natural  sense. 
128 


Earlier  Prophets  Micah  7:11 

The  day  of  reckoning,  which  thy  prophets  foresaw,  O  The  proph- 

,        -        ,.  ^         .,",;,  /.    ,.  et's  com- 

city,  cannot  be  far  distant     It  will  be  a  day  of  dismay  ment 
and  confusion.      No  one  will  know  whom  they  can  trust.   "^  "^  '  '' 
All  the  usual  bonds  of  friendliness  and  kinship  will  go 
for  naught     Not  even  will  one  rely  on  his  wife  and 
children. 

VI 

THE  PSALM  OF  PENITENT  ISRAEL  (/  I   7-20) 

In  after  years,  when  the  blow  that  Micah  predicted 
had  fallen,  when  Judah  had  been  taken  away  to  bitter 
captivity,  she  recognized  that  she  had  suffered  for  her 
sins.  Then,  in  deep  contrition,  she  utters  these  words 
of  penitence  and  hope. 

[I  will  humbly  seek  Jehovah,  who  is  my  true  deliverer.  Israel's  con. 

,-.„,,,  ,  .  fession  and 

He  will  surely  hearken  to  my  truly  penitent  prayer,  hope 
Although  my  oppressor  exults  over  my  destruction  as  if  ^ 
final,  and  I  seem  to  be  in  the  darkness  of  despair,  still 
Jehovah  will  bring  me  to  the  light  ;  he  will  manifest 
again  his  righteousness  by  delivering  me.  Then  shall 
my  enemy,  who  scoffs  at  Jehovah's  power,  receive  his 
true  deserts. 

On  that  day  of  pardon  and  deliverance,   thy  ruined  The  proph- 

•'  *^  ■'  et  s  assur- 

walls   shall   be   restored,   and   thy   border   broadened.  ^  ance 

^  (7  :  xi-xs). 

1  The  Hebrew  is  a  play,  "  yirhaq  hoq." 
129 


Micah  7  :  14. 

From  every  quarter  of  the  earth  people  shall  flock  to 
Judea,  for  their  lands  shall  be  made  desolate  in  the  day 
of  retribution. 
A  prayer  for     Q  Tehovah,  let  our  prayer  come  unto  thee.      Be  again 

restoration  ''  *  i    .        ,         .    •• 

to  judah  our  tender  shepherd.  Let  us  feed  m  the  rich  pastures 
7 .  14-17)-  ^^  Bashan  and  Gilead,  and  in  the  forests  of  Carmel 
Make  once  more  a  signal  deliverance  of  thy  people  from 
oppression,  so  that  all  the  nations,  humbled  and  terror- 
stricken,  shall  bow  in  reverence  before  thy  power. 

A  hymn  of        What  nation  worships  such  a  God  as  thou  art,  O  Teho- 

praise  ,     -        .  , 

(7:  18-20).  vah,  who  punishes  in  order  to  redeem  and  forgive,  who 
takes  delight  in  doing  good  to  men.  Our  sins  thou  dost 
utterly  remove  from  sight  Thou  dost  fulfil  in  truth  all 
those  promises  which  thou  gavest  to  our  fathers  ;  for  thy 
faithfulness  and  thy  mercy  never  faiL] 


130 


THE  LATER  PROPHECIES  OF  ISAIAH 


THE  LATER  PROPHECIES  OF  ISAIAH 


THE  TASK   OF  THE   PROPHET   DURING    THE    YEARS 
722-700  B.C. 

As  long  as  King  Ahaz  sat  upon  the  throne  of  Judah, 
he  and  his  people  remained  loyal  vassals  of  Assyria. 
Whether  this  was  due  to  the  shrewdness  or  to  the  weak- 
ness of  the  king  is  uncertain.  The  situation  was  not 
without  its  advantages  politically.  Judah  was  guaranteed 
security  and  peace,  and  could  give  undivided  attention 
to  her  own  concerns.  Consequently  the  prophet  Isaiah, 
whose  patriotism  was  as  unquestioned  as  his  far-sighted 
judgment,  accepted  the  situation,  and  did  all  in  his 
power  to  maintain  it.  He  did  not  give  up  his  expecta- 
tion of  a  coming  judgment  upon  his  people  through  the 
very  nation  which  was  then  its  patron  ;  but,  in  the  inter- 
est of  cultivating  a  more  abiding  trust  in  the  Holy  One 
of  Israel,  the  supreme  ruler  of  the  universe,  he  decried 
all  purely  human  expedients  for  changing  the  situation. 

The  immediate  religious  results  of  this  submission 
were  deplorable.  To  the  people  at  large  the  political 
supremacy  of  Assyria  implied  the  superior  power  of  her 
133 


Isaiah  Messages  of  the 

gods.  King  Ahaz  not  only  erected  a  new  altar  in  the 
temple  patterned  after  an  Assyrian  model,  but  made 
other  changes  of  similar  character,  and  introduced  the 
Assyrian  worship  of  the  heavenly  bodies  (2  Kings  23  :  12). 
In  this  dishonor  to  Jehovah  of  Hosts  he  was  heartily  sup- 
ported by  many  of  his  influential  subjects.  As  Micah's 
unsparing  criticisms  show,  the  frivolity  and  superstition 
of  the  early  days  of  Ahaz  developed  rapidly  into  a 
deliberate  disregard  of  moral  obligations.  The  rapacious 
nobles  tolerated  only  those  religious  advisers  who  pan- 
dered to  their  desires.  Isaiah  was  for  a  while  compara- 
tively isolated.  He  got  no  hearing  from  king  or  nobles 
or  people.  His  attention  was  devoted  mainly  to  his  own 
disciples.  That  he  did  not  fail,  however,  to  take  advan- 
tage of  any  opportunity  to  proclaim  loyalty  to  Jehovah 
and  conformity  to  righteous  ideals,  is  shown  by  the  cap- 
tious complaint  of  the  revelers,  in  chapter  28,  that  his 
advice  was,  to  say  the  least,  monotonous. 

There  is  no  trace  of  any  prominent  activity  on  his 
part  until  after  the  year  715  B.  C,  when  it  is  certain  that 
Hezekiah  was  on  the  throne.^  The  acquiescence  of  the 
Judeans  in  their  vassalage  to  Assyria  had  been  promoted 

1  The  date  of  Hezekiah's  accession  is  an  unsolved  problem  as  yet.  If  the 
sixteen  years  ascribed  to  Ahaz  are  allowed,  it  was  about  719  (so  Cheyne, 
McCurdy)  ;  if  2  Kings  18  :  9,  10,  is  correct,  it  was  727  or  725  (so  Kent, 
Skinner,  G.  A.  Smith)  ;  if  2  Kings  18 :  13  is  accurate,  it  was  715  (so  Cor- 
nill,  Kittel,  Stade). 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah 

by  the  decisive  victories  gained  by  Sargon  in  720  over  a 
coalition  of  northern  communities  headed  by  Hamath, 
and  over  an  Egyptian  army  at  Raphia.  But  about  716 
a  new  sovereign  came  to  the  throne  of  Egypt.  He 
acknowledged  himself  Assyria' s  vassal  in  715,  but  began 
to  use  every  secret  means  in  his  power  of  arousing  a 
spirit  of  discontent  among  the  petty  states  of  Palestine. 
This  found  expression,  about  711  B.C.,  in  the  town  of 
Ashdod,  which  deposed  its  authorized  ruler.  But,  before 
the  revolt  could  gain  much  headway,  Sargon  despatched 
a  selected  body  of  troops,  and  quelled  the  insurrection. 
Judah,  along  with  Edom  and  Moab,  he  suspected  of  de- 
siring to  revolt,  but  contented  himself  with  receiving 
their  ready  submission. 

It  is  probable  that  Isaiah  was  responsible  for  the  hesi- 
tation of  the  people  of  Judah  to  take  part  in  the  revolt 
He  did  his  best  to  show  the  sure  result  of  such  a  step  by 
wearing,  in  public,  for  several  years,  a  captive's  garb. 
He  succeeded  in  preventing  any  overt  acts  of  rebellion 
while  Sargon  lived.  It  seems  probable,  however,  that 
Egyptian  intrigue  found  all  this  time  a  ready  response  in 
Judah.  An  anti-Assyrian,  pro-Egyptian  party  grew  in 
strength,  which  counted  as  its  adherents  not  a  few  dis- 
tinguished courtiers. 

The  events  which  gave  these  conspirators  courage  for 
open  disaffection  were  two  important  changes  of  dynasty. 
135 


Isaiah  Messages  of  the 

The  dreaded  Sargon  died  by  violence  in  705  B.  C. ,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Sennacherib,  whose  prowess  had  yet 
to  be  proved.  At  about  the  same  time  there  came  to 
the  over-lordship  of  Egypt  and  Ethiopia  a  remarkably 
clever  and  ambitious  king,  Tirhakah.  Despite  Isaiah's 
utmost  activity  and  earnest  warnings  against  the  folly 
and  wickedness  of  trusting  in  Egypt,  active  negotiations 
began  between  Judah  and  the  other  Palestinian  states 
looking  toward  a  combined  rebellion  against  Assyria. 
King  Hezekiah  yielded  to  the  popular  desire,  and  be- 
came a  prominent  factor  in  this  league.  Isaiah' s  pre- 
dictions of  what  Assyria  would  do  were  wholly  wasted. 
In  fact,  for  four  years,  Sennacherib  was  forced  to  give 
his  whole  attention  to  a  yet  more  serious  situation  in  the 
Far  East. 

When  his  people  had  taken  the  decisive  step  of  refus- 
ing allegiance  and  tribute,  and  were  face  to  face  with  an 
Assyrian  invasion,  Isaiah,  true  to  his  prophetic  function, 
began  at  once  to  strengthen  them  for  the  inevitable 
shock.  He  aimed  to  center  their  hopes  upon  Jehovah, 
who,  in  his  providence,  was  using  Assyria  as  a  tool  to 
humble  Judah,  and  cause  her  to  recognize  him  as  her 
only  deliverer.  He  declared  that  Jehovah  would  set 
certain  limits  beyond  which  the  boastful  Assyrian  would 
not  be  allowed  to  pass.  Jerusalem,  the  city  of  Zion,  was 
still  needed  for  the  furtherance  of  the  divine  purpose  ; 
136 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah 

hence  Jehovah  would  protect  it     Judah  need  not  fear, 
if  her  people  would  only  become  truly  loyal  to  him. 

In  701  B.  C,  Sennacherib  advanced  to  punish  his  re- 
bellious subjects  in  Palestine,  and  to  quell,  once  for  all, 
their  fondness  for  revolt.  It  was  the  crisis  in  the  history 
of  Judah.  How  at  this  time  of  stress  the  prophet  com- 
forted, warned,  encouraged,  and  taught  his  people,  his 
own  utterances  will  show.  He  not  only  inspired  them 
at  critical  moments  with  courage  and  confidence,  but 
made  the  apparent  hopelessness  of  the  situation  a  ground 
for  emphasizing  Jehovah' s  world-wide  sovereignty  and 
irresistible  purpose.  When  Sennacherib  returned  to 
Assyria,  leaving  Jerusalem  untouched,  the  political  de- 
liverance was  insignificant  in  comparison  with  the  tri- 
umph achieved  for  religious  progress. 

II 

isaiah's  activity  during  sargon's  reign 
722-705 

I.    The  Earlier  Events  of  HezekiaK s  Reign 

It  is  probable  that  the  earlier  years  of  Hezekiah's 
reign,  whether  it  began  in  727  B.  C.  or  later,  ^  were  years 
of  comparative  prosperity.      The   young  king  differed 

1  See  note,  page  134. 


Isaiah  Messages  of  the 

greatly  from  his  father,  and  was  undoubtedly  a  pupil  and 
friend  of  the  prophet  Isaiah.  One  of  his  earliest  official 
actions  seems  to  have  been  the  public  acknowledgment 
of  the  nation' s  fealty  to  Jehovah.  He  promoted  certain 
measures  of  religious  reform,  and  probably  encouraged 
improvements  in  social  administration.  His  military 
policy  was  vigorous  and  sensible.  He  was  readily 
acknowledged  as  leader  among  the  petty  rulers  of  Pales- 
tine. He  was  popular  with  his  people.  By  exploiting, 
after  the  manner  of  Uzziah,  the  resources  of  his  country, 
he  was  able  to  pay  the  annual  tribute  to  Assyria,  and 
still  to  accumulate  no  little  treasure.  Meanwhile,  he 
judiciously  strengthened  his  defenses,  probably  con- 
structing the  conduit  (2  Kings  20  :  20),  which  insured  a 
good  supply  of  water  in  case  of  a  siege.  On  the  whole, 
his  people  were  justified  in  taking  heart  and  renewing 
their  impatience  of  outside  control. 

At  what  period  of  his  life  the  events  related  in  Isaiah 
38  and  39  took  place  cannot  be  surely  determined,  in 
the  absence  of  certainty  regarding  the  beginning  or  end 
of  his  reign.  The  sickness  of  Hezekiah  must  have  pre- 
ceded by  about  a  year  the  embassy  of  Merodach-baladan 
(Isa.  39  :  i).  The  latter  event  almost  certainly  took 
place  about  714,  or  about  704  B.  C.  At  both  of  these 
times  Merodach-baladan  was  an  active  enemy  of  the 
reigning  king  of  Assyria.  Judah  was  being  enticed  by 
138 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  38  :  i-8 

her  immediate  neighbors  to  revolt,  and  was  enough  of  a 
leader  in  Southern  Palestine  to  make  the  flattering 
advances  of  the  Babylonian  far  from  ridiculous.  In 
view  of  the  fact,  however,  that  Hezekiah  seems  to  have 
avoided  making  any  treaty,  and  to  have  been  impressed 
by  Isaiah's  point  of  view,  we  may  relate  these  incidents 
as  if  they  happened  just  before  the  outbreak  in  Ashdod, 
about  712  B.  C,  which  was  put  down  so  quickly  by 
Sargon'  s  general. 

Hezekiah  was  taken  with  an  apparently  mortal  illness.  Hezekiah's 
Even  the  prophet  Isaiah  believed  that  it  was  Jehovah's  recovery """^ 
will  that  he  should  die,  and  advised  him  to  give  his  last  s^,  ^^i'.^^  Jom- 
inj unctions  to  his  successor.      But  the  good  king  longed  "^^^^l^^^^ 
to  live,  and  plead  with  God  for  grace.      At  once  the  an- 
swer came.     Before  the  departing  prophet  had  left  the 
palace  he  received  this  comforting  message  for  Hezekiah : 
"  I,  the  God  of  thy  father  David,  have  listened,  and  will 
heal  thee.     Thou  shalt  continue  to  worship  me  for  fif- 
teen years  to  come,  and  I  will  make  thy  capital  secure. "  * 
At  the  king's  request,  this  promise  was  confirmed  by  a 
striking  sign.     A  strongly  marked  shadow  falling  on  the 
step-clock  set  up  by  Ahaz  was  made  to  alter  its  position 
by  ten  steps,  as  if  the  sun  had  retreated  in  the  heaven. 

This  poem  of  thanksgiving  reflects  the  thoughts  of 

I  The  first  part  of  verse  6  is  probably  a  gloss,  suggested,  perhaps,  by 
37  :  35. 


Isaiah  38  :  10 


Messages  of  the 


His  psalm 
of thanksgi 
ing  :  his  an 
guish  and 
despair 
(38  :  9-14). 


The  em- 
bassy of 
Merodach- 
baladan  to 
HezekiahJ 
(39  :  I.  2)- 


Isaiah's  re- 
proof and 
prediction 
(39:3-7) 


Hezekiah  when  face  to  face  with  death.  ["Alas  !  must 
- 1  be  cut  off  in  the  prime  of  Hfe,  and  go  to  Sheol,  no 
more  to  worship  God  or  know  mankind.  My  life  is  as 
unstable  as  a  shepherd' s  tent  ;  it  is  concluded  as  quickly 
as  a  weaver  finishes  his  task  ;  in  a  day  all  is  over.  I 
cannot  but  mourn  ;  I  beseech  thee,  O  Jehovah,  to  re- 
deem me. 

"And  what  can  I  say  of  his  wonderful  deliverance. 
Help  me  to  make  worthy  my  remaining  life.  For  my 
welfare  was  this  bitter  experience  ;  thou  hast  delivered 
and  forgiven  me.  I  thank  thee  that  thou  dost  spare  me 
to  live  and  praise  thy  name. ' '  ] 

No  sooner  had  the  news  of  this  recovery  had  time  to 
reach  Babylonia  than  Merodach-baladan,  a  claimant  of 
the  throne  of  Babylon,  and  hence  a  foe  to  the  king  of 
Assyria,  to  whose  authority  he  would  not  bow,  seized  the 
opportunity  to  send  a  formal  embassy  to  Hezekiah  to 
bear  a  royal  gift,  and  to  offer  his  congratulations.  They 
were  given  secret  instructions  to  negotiate  a  treaty  with 
the  king  of  Judah,  or  at  least  to  stir  him  to  rebellion 
against  the  Assyrian  king.  Flattered  by  this  attention, 
Hezekiah  sought  to  prove  the  value  of  his  friendship  by 
exhibiting  to  the  envoys  all  his  royal  resources. 

The  prophet  Isaiah,  knowing  their  real  motive,  ques- 
tioned the  king  about  them.  He  answered  evasively, 
but  admitted  that  he  had  shown  them  his  treasures. 
140 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  2 1 


13 


Then  the  prophet  pointed  out  to  him  his  wickedness  and 
folly,  for  his  willingness  to  enter  into  such  alliances  and 
his  pride  in  his  own  resources  were  directly  opposed  to 
a  sincere  trust  in  Jehovah.  His  foolish  display  of  wealth 
to  these  distant  Babylonians  God  would  punish  by  a 
Babylonian  invasion. 

Hezekiah  perceived  the  weakness  of  the  plan,  and  re-  Hezekiah's 
signed  himself  to  Jehovah' s  will,  hoping  that  peace  and  cenci*"^' 
stability  would  at  least  remain  with  him.  ^39  =  8). 

2.  EdonC  s  Anxiety  and  the  Judgment  upon  Arabia 
(21  :  II. 17) 

About  the  year  711  B.  C,  when  the  inhabitants  of 
Ashdod  and  Gath  broke  out  in  open  rebellion  against 
Sargon,  according  to  an  Assyrian  inscription,  Edom, 
Moab,  other  Philistine  cities,  and  Judah,  were  also  com- 
promised. It  was  probably  at  this  time  that  Isaiah  uttered 
these  sayings  upon  the  nations  which  meditated  revolt. 

Hear  the  men  of  Edom  ^  asking  the  prophet  whether  Edom's 
their  troubles  will  soon  be  over.     By  such  a  riddle  as  ?h"e'p?ophet's 
their  men   of   wisdom  will    understand,    the    prophet  J^p'^  „     . 
answers  that  there  is  mingled  hope  and  despair  in  pros- 
pect    This  is  all  that  he  can  see  at  present 

O  men  of  Tema  !  go  forth  with  provisions  to  succor 
the  caravan  of  merchants  from  Dedan,  which,  avoiding 

1  Dumah  may  be  a  sort  of  anagram  for  Edom. 
141 


Isaiah  21 :  14  Messages  of  the 

Thedestruc-the  armed  bands  of  invaders,  is  forced  to  encamp  at 

tion  coming 

upon  North  night  in  the  barren  desert     For  within  a  year  the  tribes 
(21^:  13-17).  of  North  Arabia,  famous  though  their  bowmen  be,  shall 
be  humbled  and  almost  destroyed. 

3.    The  Symbolic  Prediction  of  the  Captivity  of  Egypt 
and  Ethiopia  (20  :  i  -6) 

In  the  very  year  that  the  army  sent  against  Ashdod  by 
Sargon  appeared,  Jehovah  gave  me  a  message  against 
Egypt  and  Ethiopia.  In  obedience  to  his  will,  I,  a 
noble  of  the  court,  had  walked  the  streets  of  Jerusalem 
for  many  months  in  captive' s  garb  to  illustrate  the  cer- 
The  hapless  tain  result  of  the  popular  desire  to  rebel.     Then  I  was 

? light  of 
'aiestine's    told  to  say  :    * '  This  symbolic  prophecy  has  been  de- 
helpers         signed  to  impress  the  fact  that  Egypt  and  Ethiopia  shall 
(20  : 1-6).     ^^  j^^  ^^  .^^^  ^y^xXo,  to  Assyria.     What  then  will  be  the 
dismay  and  terror  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  region  when 
those  on  whom  they  are  relying  for  support  in  their  re- 
bellion against  their  over-lord  are  so  utterly  helpless  !  *  * 

4.   Moab'  s  Past  Calamity  soon  to  be  Repeated 
(15  :  I  to  16  :  14) 

Recall,  O  men  of  Judah,  the  word  of  prophecy  uttered 
many  years  ago  ^  against  Moab. 

iSee  16:  13.     By  Hitzig  and  many  interpreters  it  is  thought  that  this 
earlier  prophecy  referred  to  the  subjugation  of  Moab  about  775  B.  C,  by 
Jeroboam  II.     It  is  notable  for  its  paranomasia  (16  cases). 
142 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  16:14 

Moab's   two   chief   cities    have   been   captured   and^oab's 
destroyed  in  a  night.     As  the  news  spreads  northward,  calamity 
with  bared  heads  and  shorn  beards  her  people  crowd  ^  '^ 
around  the  altars,  or  throng  the  roofs  and  market-places, 
overcome  with  grief.     Even  the  warriors  are  unmanned. 
Alas  for  Moab  !     Her  homeless  fugitives,  spreading  the 
woeful  tidings  as  they  go,  hasten  toward  Edom.      But 
even  a  more  terrible  fate   is   in   store  for  the  bloody 
capital.  ^ 

Send  your  tribute  now  to  the  king  of  Judah.      Plead  ^^'^  useless 
with  him  to  adopt  wise  measures  to  give  you  protection  Judah 
until  the  danger  is  over,  offering  perpetual  submission  to 
the  righteous  dynasty  of  David.      But  Moab  cannot  be 
accepted.     Her  arrogance  is  too  deep-seated. 

Nothing,    then,  but  sorrow,  awaits  Moab.      Her   far-  A  vision  of 
famed  vineyards  are  ruined.      All  sounds  of  joy  andruL" 
feasting  are  stilled.     In  time  the  men  of  Moab  will  be  ^^^  *  ^'"^* 
fully  convinced  of  the  uselessness  of  pleading  with  Che- 
mosh,  their  god,  for  relief. 

This  word  which  Jehovah  spake  so  long  ago  is  ap-  Her  present 
plicable  to-day.      He  bids  me  add  that  within  not  more  (f°f?3, 14). 
than  three  years  Moab' s  recovered  glory  shall  become 
contemptible,   and  what  is  left  of  her  people  shall  be 
feeble. 

1  Dimon  is  probably  an  alteration  of  Dibon,  so  as  to  make  a  play  on  the 
word  for  blood  {dam). 


Isaiah  19  :  i  Messages  of  the 


5.  The  Judgment  upon  Egypt  and  its  Outcome 
(19  :  1-25) 

Jehovah's         Judgment  impends  upon  Egypt.     Jehovah,  riding  on 
judgment     the  swift-flving  cloud,    is  about  to  cause  her  idols  to 

■will  destroy  ,  .  ,  11  ,  ,,  -  - 

Egypt's  in-  quakc  With  terror,  and  her  people  to  collapse  from  fear. 

andTertUity  Vexed  by  internal  anarchy  and  strife,  and  at  a  loss  to 

(19  :  i-io).  j^j^Q^  what  to  do,  they  will  resort  to  sorcery,  but  without 
avail.  Jehovah  will  give  them  up  to  a  cruel  foreign 
conqueror.  The  great  river  Nile  also  shall  be  dried  up, 
and  its  branches  and  canals  become  shallow  and  stag- 
nant. The  verdure  on  its  banks  shall  wither,  the  fish- 
ermen, who  throve  through  its  bounty,  shall  mourn,  all 
those  whose  livelihood  depends  upon  its  products  shall 
be  sad. 

Her  wise  ^  spirit  of  folly  shall  seize  upon  the  sages  of  Egypt,  so 

lead  her  to    renowned  for  their  wisdom,  and  so  proud  of  their  de- 
destruction  .  .  f. 

(19 :  11-15).  scent.  The  prmces  of  Zoan  and  Memphis,  the  bul- 
warks of  the  ancient  empire,  shall,  by  foolish  adventures, 
lead  their  people  to  ruin.  In  the  desperate  bewilder- 
ment of  all  classes  in  the  state,  the  whole  body  politic 
shall,  like  one  intoxicated,  reel  to  destruction. 
Egypt's  1  But  in  Jehovah' s  day,    when  Egypt  has  distinctly 

tions  with     recognized  Jehovah's  share  in  this  judgment,  and  stands 

Judah 

^  Verses  16-25  are  in  prose,  and  are  regarded  by  some  scholars  as  an  ap. 
penclix  composed  by  Isaiah  at  the  close  of  his  life,  by  others  as  post-exilic 

144 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  19:  25 

in  such  awe  of  him  that  she  can  scarcely  endure  the 
mention  of  Judah,  his  abode,  she  will  understand  and 
own  his  grace. 

Her  five  sacred  cities,  headed  by  Heliopolis,  shall 
adopt  the  language  of  Canaan,  and  swear  allegiance  to 
Jehovah. 

Her  acceptance  of  the  worship  of  Jehovah  shall  be 
symbolized  by  an  altar  in  her  midst  and  a  pillar  on  her 
border.  These  shall  be  a  token  of  Jehovah' s  protection. 
In  time,  through  many  experiences  of  chastisement  and 
deliverance,  her  people  shall  learn  to  know  him  truly. 

A  highway  for  traffic  shall  be  open  through  Palestine 
from  Eg)'pt  to  Assyria,  her  hereditary  foe.  The  three 
nations  shall  form  a  league  for  the  blessing  of  the  world. 
Egypt  shall  be  called  Jehovah's  people,  Assyria  his 
handiwork,  and  Israel  his  heritage. 

Ill 

ISAIAH*S  ACTIVITY  AT  THE  TIME  OF  SENNACHERIB'S 
INVASION  OF  PALESTINE 

I.  The  Death  of  Sargon  and  Related  Events 

The  influence  of  Isaiah  was  potent,  as  long  as  Sargon 
lived,  to  check  the  plans  of  the  pro-Egyptian  party  in 
Judah.     Even  the  short-sighted  nobles  could  realize  that 
145 


Isaiah  14 :  28  Messages  of  the 

the  weak  king  Shabataka,  who  had  delivered  over  to 
Sargon  the  leader  of  the  revolt  at  Ashdod,  could  give 
them  no  protection  against  the  invincible  Assyrian.  His 
sudden  death  in  705  B.  C.  completely  changed  the  situa- 
tion. In  every  quarter  of  his  empire  great  districts  rose 
in  revolt.  In  Palestine  plans  for  united  action  were  at 
once  begun.  Perhaps  at  this  juncture  should  be  dated 
the  short  but  vigorous  fragment  in  chapter  14,  which 
tradition  ascribed  to  the  death-year  of  king  Ahaz.* 
The  fate  of  Q  Philistia,  do  not  give  yourself  up  to  universal  rejoic- 
compared  ing  bccause  the  power  from  which  you  have  suffered  so 
ju?ah^^'  °^  greatly  has  been  shattered.  It  will  only  be  exchanged 
(14  :  28-32).  ^^^  something  just  as  deadly.  Under  Jehovah's  protec- 
tioh,  his  own  people  will  be  perfectly  secure,  but  thy 
children  will  be  cut  off.  Lament  aloud,  for  on  your 
northern  border  the  smoke  shall  arise  from  villages 
aflame,  when  the  serried  ranks  of  Assyrian  soldiery  ap- 
proach !  What  answer  shall  we  give  to  Philistia' s  am- 
bassadors ?  ' '  We  put  our  trust  in  Jehovah,  whose  pur- 
poses for  Zion  cannot  be  annulled." 

The  prophet' s  influence  could  no  longer  prevent  open 
expressions  of  sympathy  with  the  spirit  of  revolt.     The 

iCheyne  refers  it  to  the  year  719,  when  Sargon  had  just  received  a  re- 
verse at  the  hands  of  Ummanigas,  king  of  Elam,  aided  by  Merodach- 
baladan,  so  serious  that  he  did  not  venture  to  attack  Babylonia  again  for 
eleven  years.  If  719  was  the  death-year  of  Ahaz,  this  identification  would 
seem  very  probable. 

146 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  28  :  i 

party  which  favored  an  alliance  with  the  other  Pales- 
tinian states,  and  with  Egypt,  led  by  the  astute  and  am- 
bitious Shebna  (22  :  15),  gained  the  upper  hand  in  the 
council  of  state.  A  formal  alliance  with  Tirhakah 
seemed  to  give  assurance  of  a  successful  resistance  to 
any  attack  from  Assyria.  Doubtless  some  time  inter- 
vened before  the  decisive  steps  were  taken.  The  proba- 
bilities were  discussed  again  and  again.  Isaiah's 
addresses  preserved  in  chapters  28-32  belong  to  this 
period.  He  complained  of  the  secrecy  of  the  negotia- 
tions of  the  conspirators,  and  of  their  senseless  and 
wilful  disregard  of  the  divine  share  in  Judah'  s  affairs. 
He  argued  so  powerfully  against  the  folly  of  trusting  in 
Egypt  that  he  finally  won  a  partial  victory.  Shebna  was 
removed  by  king  Hezekiah  from  his  position  as  prime 
minister,  and  replaced  by  Eliakim,  who  probably  repre- 
sented the  political  ideas  of  the  prophetic  party.  The 
exact  date  to  be  given  to  each  utterance  is  unknown. 
Probably  chapter  28  is  as  early  as  704,  while  chapters 
30,  31,  may  be  dated  in  the  latter  part  of  702  B.C. 

2.  The  Plea  against  the  Egyptian  Alliance 
(28-32;  18;  22:  15-25) 

(i)  A  Warning  to  the  Magnates  of  Jerusalem  (28  :  1-29) 
Years  ago,  just  before  Samaria's  fall,  I  delivered  this 
prophecy,  announcing  the  fate  soon  to  overtake  that  city 
147 


Isaiah  28 :  i  Messages  of  the 

Samaria's     of  rcvelcrs  :   "  Woc  to  beautiful  Samaria,  whose  tower- 

immment  ' 

(723  B.C.)     crowned  summit  and  vine-decked  slopes  remind  one  of 

destruction  '■ 

(28  : 1-4).  a  reveler  whose  flushed  temples  are  wreathed  by  a  chap- 
let  of  flowers  !  Her  carousal  is  nearly  over.  Jehovah  is 
about  to  send  one  who,  like  a  destructive  tempest  or  an 
overwhelming  flood,  shall  sweep  over  her,  dashing  to 
earth  her  crown  of  pride.  As  quickly  as  one  devours  an 
early  fig  shall  the  rapacious  Assyrian  destroy  the  loveli- 

Her  possible  ness  of  Samaria.     In  the  distant  future,  however,  when 

future 

(28 : 5, 6).     Jehovah  is  the  glory  of  his  people,  he  will  not  only 
satisfy  their  craving  for  beauty,  but  will  be  the  source  of 
justice  and  valor." 
J«''"saiem         Apply  this  prediction  to  yourselves,  besotted  nobles 
no  better      and  leaders,     Jerusalem  to-day  is  an  image  of  Samaria 
Samaria       then.     Even  priest  and  prophet  are  reeling  homeward 
*  ^'         from  the  sacrificial  feast  at  which  they  have  been  plot- 
ting treason.     When  I,  making  my  way  into  your  midst, 
appealed  once  more  in  Jehovah' s  name  for  faith  in  his 
protecting  care  and  a  rejection  of  entangling  alliances, 
The  peevish  you  Said,  in  tipsy  derision  :   "  Whom  does  this  fellow  pre- 

complaint  ot  ,    ->        .  t  i    •     r  -,       tt      • 

the  drunken  sume  to  tcach  ?     Are  we  newly  weaned  mfants  ?     He  is 

(^8^9^10).    forever  prattling  monotonously  his  wearisome  advice  !"  ^ 

Let  me  warn  you  that  Jehovah,  whose  servant  you  are 

1  The  Hebrew  of  verse  lo,  "  (jav  la  ^av,  gav  la  ^av  ;  qav  la  qav,  qav  la 
qav ;  z'er  sham,  z'er  sham,"  is  an   imitation  of  baby-talk.     Some   think 
that  the  words  have  no  meaning,  being  merely  imitative. 
148 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  29 :  i 

mocking,  will  teach  you  through  instructors  whose  words  Isaiah's 
will  sound  just  as  intolerable,  and  whose  power  will  be  (28 :  11-13). 
irresistible. 

You  rulers  who  scoff  at  divine  protection,  and  think  o^ly  » 

*^  policy  based 

by  your  cunning  but  faithless  diplomacy  to  save  your-  upon  faith 

\  r  1  •  J  lA-i"^  God  can 

selves  from  destruction,  and  to  prevent  the  Assyrian  be  perma-j 
army  from  reaching  you,  let  Jehovah  remind  you  through  ^aT:  14-22). 
me  that  he  called  our  nation  for  some  great  purpose, 
that  this  purpose  is  unalterable,  and  that  faith  in  him  is 
our  only  safety.  Any  course  of  action  which  does  not 
conform  to  justice  and  righteousness  will  be  utterly  use- 
less. The  judgment  shall  visit  you  repeatedly  ;  you  will 
understand  it  then  only  too  well.  The  bed  you  are 
making  will  never  fit  you.  Reluctantly  will  Jehovah 
have  to  carr}'  out  his  decree  of  destruction  upon  his  own 
people,  if  you  persist  in  your  evil  course. 

Let  me  utter  a  parable.     Does  not  the  farmer,  with  a  God's 
wisdom  which  Jehovah  himself  has  implanted,  cast  in  with  men— 
the  appropriate  seed  after  plowing,  and  vary  his  mode  (28^23-29). 
of  threshing  in  accordance  with  the  grain  ?     So  Jehovah 
will  deal  with  his   people    in   the  way  which  is  best 
adapted  to  their  character. 

{2)  Jehovah's  Purpose  for  Ariel,  his  Altar-hearth  (29  :  1-24) 

Ho  !  Ariel,  city  of  David  and  altar-hearth  of  God ! 
let  a  year  or  two  pass  by  ;  let  such  feasts  as  these  run 
149 


Isaiah  29: 2  Messages  of  the 

jerasaiem's  their  accustomcd  round.'     Soon  shall  the  light-hearted 

coming  *=* 

siege  and      people  moan  and  bemoan  ^  their  fate,  for  Jerusalem  shall 

sudden  de-     f      f    ,        ,  ,  ,     ,  .  ,        .      .  ^      . 

liverance      be  mdeed  an  altar  laden  with  victims.     Besieged  by  a 
(29 .  I-  )•      great  army,  humiliated  and  almost  exhausted,  thou  shalt 
suddenly  be  delivered  by  Jehovah' s  power.     Thy  ene- 
mies shall  vanish  like  a  dream  ;  from  their  visions  of 
spoil  they  shall  be  rudely  awakened. 
Why  her  Are  you  dazed  by  this  message,  O  people?    Are  your 

not  realize  eyes  blinded  to  its  significance  ?  Is  not  Jehovah' s  word 
(29:9-16).  a  book  which  some  of  you  will  not  read,  while  others 
cannot  ?  Your  religious  attitude  is  wholly  formal  ;  no 
wonder  that  his  dealings  with  you  seem  so  wholly  inex- 
plicable. Your  self-styled  leaders,  plotting  in  secret, 
seem  to  actually  suppose  that  they  are  outwitting  God. 
What  stupid  perversity  ! 
The  future        The  time  will  soon  come  when  the  land  shall  be  mar- 

blessings  of 

Israel  velously  fruitful,  when  all  shall  see  and  hear  Jehovah*  s 


(29  :  17-24.) 


will,  when  the  common  people  shall  have  much  joy, 
when  tyrants  and  scorners  and  crafty  men  shall  cease. 
He  who  was  Abraham' s  redeemer  will  not  leave  Israel 
to  shame  and  fear.  He  will  so  manifest  himself  that  all 
shall  reverently  receive  instruction  concerning  him. 

1  This  sermon  was  probably  uttered  on  some  great  festal  occasion. 

2  So  Cheyne  imitates  the  two  words  of  similar  sound  in  the  Hebrew. 


150 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  30 : 1 5 

(3)  The  Utter  Folly  of  Seeking  an  Alliance  with  Egypt 
(30  :  1-33) 
Woe  to  my  rebellious  sons  who  are  cementing  an  alii-  Egypt  is  a 

•'  ^  weak  reed  to 

ance  with  Egypt  in  defiance  of  my  will,  seeking  the  pro-  lean  upon 

(30  ;  1-7) . 

tection  of  Tvrhakah !  Although  he  is  active  in  despatching 
messengers  from  one  end  of  his  land  to  the  other,  yet 
nothing  but  shame  will  come  to  those  who  trust  in  his 
help.  What  is  the  use  of  sending  ambassadors  with 
costly  gifts  to  brave  all  the  dangers  of  the  desert,  in 
order  that  we  may  win  the  aid  of  such  an  inefficient 
people  ?  Egypt' s  help  amounts  to  nothing  ;  she  is 
Madame  Brag-and-stay-at-home. 
Jehovah  has  bidden  me  write  these  prophecies  down  The  sad  con- 

•    1  1  ••         c    -i-      1       -i-  -1  1       sequences  of 

as  a  testimonial  to  the  spirit  of  disobedience  shown  by  the  rebei- 
my  people.      They  wish  to  hear  only  congenial    and  tk)n^orthe^'* 
pleasant  oracles.      "Do  not  dwell  so  much,"  you  say,  J'^°?8.j^j^ 
"upon  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  and  what  he  requires." 
And  now,  since  you  prefer  to  rely  upon  your  crooked 
policy,  rejecting  God' s  word  to  you,  this  wilful  sin,  of  so 
little  moment  in  your  own  minds,  shall  bring  disaster 
just  as  surely  as  a  bulge  caused  by  a  breach  in  a  lofty 
wall  tends  toward  its  sudden  and  awful  collapse.     Your 
destruction  will  be  like  that  of  a  potter's  vessel, — so 
shattered  that  no  fragment  is  found  large  enough  to  carry 
a  live  coal  or  hold  a  sup  of  water.      Have  I  not  re- 
peatedly, in  Jehovah's  name,   urged  that,  by  keeping 
151 


Isaiah  30 :  15  Messages  of  the 

aloof  from  entangling  alliances,  and  by  calmly  relying 
upon   him,   you  would   show   yourselves   truly  strong  ? 
But  you  reply,  "  No,  we  will  fly  from  all  danger  on  the 
swift  horses  of  Egypt."     You  shall  fly  indeed  in  a  panic- 
stricken  mob  before  a  handful  of  pursuers,  until  your 
paltry  remnant  is  left  as  solitary  as  a  beacon  on  a  hill- 
top. 
The  bless-        Jehovah  is  waiting  to  see  whether,  after  all,  you  will 
a  timely  re-  force  him  to  execute  judgment  ;  he  is  listening  for  your 
might  entail  Cry  of  penitence.     Though  he  may  bring  you  to  distress, 
(30  .  I  -2  ).  y^^  j^^  himself  will  be  your  teacher  and  guide.     You  will 
cast  away  with  loathing  your  costly  images.     Then  he 
will  abundantly  bless  you  with  rain  and  rich  crops,  and 
well-fed  oxen,    and  running  streams.      So  bright  and 
joyous  will  be  that  happy  time  that  the  moon  will  seem 
to  shine  with  the  brilliance  of  the  sun,  and  the  sun  to 
be  sevenfold  brighter. 
Jehovah  Before  the  glorious  prospect  can  be  fulfilled,  Jehovah 

™"St  first  .^         ,   .  .r    .         .  ■  .    ,  . 

destroy  the  must  manifest  himself  m  destructive  might  against  the 
(30^27^33).  Assyrian.  His  aspect  will  be  like  a  fierce  tempest,  and 
his  righteous  judgment  resistless  as  a  torrent,  sifting 
nations  like  chaff,  checking  them  as  with  a  bridle  ;  but, 
while  his  majestic  voice  is  heard  in  the  thunder  and 
the  stroke  of  his  arm  in  the  lightning,  there  will  be  a 
song  of  rejoicing  among  you,  as  at  the  Passover  pro- 
cession in  honor  of  the  Rock  of  Israel,  for  your  foe  he 
152 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  31 : 9 

will  destroy.  Such  a  holocaust  as  he  delights  in  shall  be 
offered.  The  pyre  is  deep  and  wide,  and  the  wood 
abundant     Jehovah' s  breath  shall  kindle  it 

(4)  Egypfs  Help  in  Contrast  to  that  of  Jehovah 
(31  :  I  to  32  :  8) 

When,  notwithstanding  my  appeals,  the  alliance  had  P^yPj  '*  ** 
been  made,  I  uttered  this  last  message  :  ' '  Woe  to  those  human 
who  put  their  trust  in  the  horses  and  chariots  of  Egypt 
as  if  the  coming  conflict  was  to  be  a  mere  measuring  of 
strength  between  two  empires.  They  forget  Jehovah, 
and  that  he  is  carrying  out  an  unchangeable  purpose. 
If  he  chooses,  both  they  and  their  helper  shall  perish. 

' '  What  a  defender  he  would  be  !     As  undaunted  as  a  Jehovah  an 
lion  calmly  guarding  his  prey,  though  surrounded  by  a  tecror"^°' 
group  of  shouting  shepherds  ;  as  tender  and  watchful  as  ^^'  *  *'  ^'' 
a  tiny  mother-bird  hovering  over  her  nest 

"O  children  of  Israel,  return  to  him  against  whom  ye  He  will 

gladly  sue* 

have  sinned.     As  soon  as  you  realize  his  true  character,  cor  his  re- 
your  hand-made  idols  of  silver  and  gold  will  be  cast  Jf°(3i°:|f£j)[ 
away  with  contempt      Then   you   need   not  fear   the 
Assyrian.     Jehovah  himself  will  fight  in  your  behalf,  for 
Jerusalem  is  his  altar-hearth."  * 

2  [But  he  will  never  be  contented  with  merely  saving 

1  The  word  for  "  fire  "  in  the  Hebrew  probably  suggests  the  mystic  name 
applied  to  Jerusalem  at  the  beginning  of  chapter  29. 

8  Many  scholars  regard  this  section  as  a  later  appendix,  perhaps  post- 
exilic. 


Isaiah  32:  i  Messages  of  the 

judah  under  this  nation  from  destruction.  It  will  be  transformed, 
^e^^ova  s  j^^  Yxng  shall  govern  righteously  ;  its  officials  of  state 
^^  '  ^"  shall  give  just  judgments  ;  every  noble  shall  be  a  pro- 
tector and  comforter  of  the  needy.  Their  moral  percep- 
tions shall  be  clear,  and  their  expression  of  them  prompt 
The  true  character  of  each  man  shall  be  recognized. 
The  fool  will  expose  himself  by  his  atheism  and  his 
selfishness,  and  the  knave  will  reveal  his  knavish '  tricks 
and  his  impositions  upon  the  defenseless  poor,  while 
the  truly  noble  man  will  be  known  by  his  noble  deeds.] 

(5)  A  Warning  to  the  Careless  Ladies  of  Jerusalem  (32  :  9-20) 

The  light-         Self-indulgent  women  of  J  erusalem,  careless  of  stern 
women  will   realities  of  the  present  or  future,  let  me  tell  you  that,  in 

mourn  over  ,.     ,  .„  .,  ,  r 

the  ravaged  a   little    ovcr    a    year,  you  will    assume    the   garb   of 
(32%-i4).    rnourners,  wailing  for  your  ravaged  vineyards  and  deso- 
late fields  and  ruined  city.     The  temple-hill  shall  be- 
come a  lurking-place   for  wild  beasts,   a  pasturage  for 
flocks. 
The  peaceful      It  is  not  Jchovah' s  will,  however,  that  this  desolation 
(32T15-20).  be  made  permanent      Under  the  renewing  influence  of 
his  spirit  the  land  shall  once  more  become  fertile  and 
its  people  righteous.      They  shall   rest  tranquilly  and 

iThe  word  rendered  in  A.  V.,  "instruments,"  sounds  very  much  like 
the  word  for  "  churl." 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  18:7 

securely.     First  there  shall  be  a  destructive  judgment, 
then  a  happy,  industrious,  and  peaceful  community. 

(6)  A  Message  to  the  Ethiopian  Ambassadors ,— Jehovah  can 
Protect  his  People  (i8  :  1-7) 

Not  many  months  passed  before  the  report  came  to 
Palestine  and  Egypt  that  Sennacherib  was  collecting  a 
mighty  army  to  chastise  us  for  our  rebellion.  Tirhakah 
did  not  delay  to  send  ambassadors  to  Hezekiah  announ- 
cing that  his  army  would  be  in  readiness,  and  encourag- 
ing the  king  to  make  a  manful  resistance.  In  the  very 
presence  of  the  king  and  court,  I  gave  them  this  answer  : 

Ah  !   ambassadors   of  that   distant    Ethiopia,    where  The  charge 
buzzing  insects  abound,  who  have  come  in  swift  skiffs  voys  of 
of  reed,*  depart  again  to  your  people,  tall  and  glossy  of  (isJT-S- 
skin,  universally  feared,  ever  victorious,  secure  in  their 
well- watered  land,  and  say,  ' '  O  dwellers  upon  the  earth, 
when  you  hear  the  signal  for  battle,  listen."     For  Jeho- Jehovah  is 
vah  has  revealed  to  me  that  he  is  looking  on  in  perfect  inl'^his  time 
quiescence,  waiting  while  the  Assyrian  harvest  matures.  ^^  '  *'"^'' 
Just  before  it  is  fully  ripe,  when  her  plans  of  conquest 
seem  to  be  complete,  her  hosts  shall  be  cut  down  as 
branches  are  cut  with  knives  ;  their  dead  bodies  shall  be 
left   as   carrion  for  unclean  beasts  and   birds.      Then 
Ethiopia  shall  pay  homage  to  Jehovah  on  Mount  Zion. 

1  The  word  "  saying,"  inserted  in  verse  2,  should  be  inserted  at  the  very 
end  of  the  verse. 


Isaiah  22:  15  Messages  of  the 

(7)  The  Downfall  of  Shebna,  the  Vizier  (22  :  15-25) 

At  last  my  pleadings  had  effect  with  the  king.      He 

began  to  have  less  faith  in  the  alliance  with  Egypt      I 

was  then  directed  to  denounce  his  wily  chief-minister, 

Shebna,  the  leader  of  those  who  had  intrigued  for  Egypt, 

and  who  had  been  my  constant  opponent     Deeming 

himself  secure  against  all  hostility,  he  had  even  dared  to 

have  a  stately  sepulchre  built  on  a  prominent  site  near 

Jerusalem.     Going  thither,  and  confronting  him,  I  said  : 

Shebna  to  be  n  gy  ;vhat  right  do  you,  a  man  of  foreign  birth,  assume 

deposed, '     to  make    yourself   a    sepulchre   here  ?      Jehovah  will 

and  ban-  ^  i  •  , 

ished  seize   you,    and    carry    you    away,   together   with   your 

15-19 .   gpjgj^^-^j  horses  and  chariots.      You   shall  be  deposed 

The  promise  fj-om  your  office,  and  Eliakim,  one  whom  God  approves, 

(22  :  20-23).  will  be  appointed  in  your  place.      He  shall  administer 

his  trust  for  the  good  of  his  people,    and  shall   have 

supreme   authority,    and   shall   confer  honor  upon  his 

family.     (His  whole  family,  worthy  and  unworthy,  shall 

be  supported  by  the  credit  of  his  name,  until  by  their 

abuse  of  trust  it  no  longer  supports  them.)  " 

3.  Assurances  that  Jehovah  will  Defend  his  People 
(10-12  ;  14  :  24-27  ;  17  :  12-14) 

As  soon  as  king  Hezekiah,  by  appointing  Shebna  to 
the  less  important  office  of  secretary,  replacing  him  by 
Eliakim  (36  :  3),  had  proved  his  loss  of  confidence  in 
156 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  lo  :  7 

the  policy  of  foreign  alliance,  and  his  desire  to  act  as 
befitted  one  who  ruled  in  the  fear  of  Jehovah,  Isaiah 
began  to  emphasize  the  certainty  of  divine  protection. 
He  still  assumed  that  the  situation  was  critical  and  the 
national  distress  acute,  but  inspired  confidence  by  dwell- 
ing upon  the  impossibility  of  destruction,  because  Jeho- 
vah is  still  in  need  of  Zion  and  all  that  it  represents. 

Hezekiah  could  not  withdraw  from  his  relations  with 
the  surrounding  states  of  Palestine.  The  vassal  king  of 
Ekron,  Padi,  dethroned  by  his  revolting  subjects,  had 
been  sent  to  Jerusalem  for  safe  keeping.  This  dan- 
gerous commission  insured  Assyrian  attack.  With 
energy  and  skill  he  strengthened  the  defenses  of  Jeru- 
salem. The  inscription  of  Sennacherib  adds  that  he 
reinforced  the  garrison  with  a  force  of  Arabs  and  other 
mercenaries.  While  these  measures  were  being  taken, 
we  may  suppose  that  the  following  oracles  of  encourage- 
ment were  delivered. 

(i)  The  Certain  Overthrow  of  Assyria,  JehovaK s  Tool  {10 -.  5-34) 

Behold  the  Assyrian,  the  instrument  *  by  which  I  chas-  Jehovah's 
tise  nations  which  deserve  punishment,  commissioning  frSed  with 
him  to  conquer  and  subjugate  for  me.      In  his  pride  hepu^o"eLd 
forgets  the  source  of  his  power,  and  is  only  bent  on  satis-  (io'^^.^) 

1  The  expression  "in  whose  hand"  is  meaningless,  and  spoils  the  par- 
allelism. 


Isaiah  lo:  ^  Messages  of  the 

fying  his  own  ambition  for  conquest,  saying  boastfully, 
"Am  I  not  invincible?     Are  not  the  governors  I  ap- 
point the  equals  in  authority  of  any  hereditary  king? 
Have  I  not  captured  the  strongest  cities  of  Syria  ?     If 
their  deities  could  not  save  them,  shall  Jerusalem  and 
her  idols  escape  ? ' ' 
Jehovah  will      Such  insulting  annoyance  must  be  rebuked  for  the 
aJl-ogance'^    sakc  of  Jchovah'  s  honor.     When,  therefore,  his  people 
^^°  ■  ^^^'       have  been  sufficiently  purified  by  chastisement,  Jehovah 

will  suitably  punish  the  Assyrian' s  pride. 
The  Assyri-       Again  he  ascribes  his  remarkable  success  to  his  own 
tionof         strength    and   wisdom,    ignoring    Jehovah's    guidance. 
w[sdom  ^"    "Moved  by  my  sagacious  insight,"    he  declares,    "I 
(lo:  13, 14).  ^j^^^gg  the  boundaries  of  nations,  secure  their  wealth, 
and  remove  their  inhabitants,    terror-stricken,   with   as 
much  ease   as  one  gathers   eggs    from   an   abandoned 
nest. ' ' 
He  is  but  a       What  an  absurd  claim  that  he  is  his  own   master  ! 
10. 15  •  ^^  .^  ^^^  Jehovah's  tool  !     Suppose  that  an  axe  or  a 
saw  were  to  boast  of  its  sharpness  or  strength  apart  from 
its  user,  or  that  a  cane  should  try  to  brandish  the  man 
who  owns  it. 
TheeflFectof     Jehovah  will  exhibit  his  power  by  stripping  the  As- 
putdng  forth  Syrian  of  his  greatness,  so  that  he  shall  be  as  a  sick  man 
(Jo°T?i9).  who  has  lost  his  strength.      Though  his   armies   may 
seem  as  numerous  and  mighty  as  a  forest,  Jehovah's 
158 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  lo :  28 

flame  will  so  consume  them  in  a  single  day  that  a  child 
may  count  those  that  are  left. 

Convinced  at  last  of  Assyria' s  true  place,  the  ' '  rem-  The  rem- 

nant  will  be 

nant     of  my  people  shall  steadfastly  rely  upon  Jehovah  steadfastly 
alone  ;  for  although,  as  our  fathers  said,  Israel  is  to  be  as  l^o:  20-23). 
numerous  as  the  sand  of  the  sea,  only  a  remnant  of  this 
people  shall  return.     Jehovah's  righteous  judgment  is 
decreed. 

So  then,  O  fellow-disciples,  do  not  fear  this  approach-  ^^^  ^'^^'^• 
ing  foe,  even  though  he  may  treat  you  as  harshly  as  fore  need  not 
Pharaoh  did  your  fathers  in  the  land  of  Egypt.      In  a  (10 :  24-27). 
little  while  Jehovah's  judgment  will  be  completed  by  his 
destruction.     He  will  smite  Assyria  as  Ephraim  smote 
the  Midianites  at  the  rock  of  Oreb.     He  will  overthrow 
her  even  as  the  hosts  of  Pharaoh  were  overthrown  at 
the  raising  of  Moses'  rod.     And  then  his  burdensome 
tribute  and  the  subjection  to  his  authority  shall  cease 
forever. 

He  will  surely  advance  upon  Jerusalem.     I  seem  to  The  rapid 
see  his  rapid  and  resistless  march  straight  down  from  the  less  advance 
north  through  the  passes  of  Benjamin.^    He  has  reached  Hai  fowSS* 
Ai  and  passed  by  Migron.     Before  he  attempts  to  get  \l^!'t%^.^). 

iThe  last  four  words  of  verse  27,  "because  of  the  anointing,"  make  no 
better  sense  in  the  Hebrew  than  in  the  English.  The  text  is  certainly  cor- 
rupt. Perhaps  it  should  read,  "  There  cometh  up  from  the  north  the  De- 
stroyer "  (Smith),  or  "  He  hath  come  up  into  Benjamin  "  (Mitchell). 


Isaiah  lo  :  28  Messages  of  the 

through  the  pass  of  Michmash,  he  stores  his  surplus 
baggage.  At  Geba  he  bivouacs  for  the  night.  Now 
the  road  is  easy  and  short  The  inhabitants  of  Ramah 
and  of  Saul's  Gibeah  flee  in  terror.  O  daughter  of 
Gallim,  shriek  aloud  ;  listen  and  fear,  O  Laishah  ;  take 
up  the  cry,  O  Anathoth.  The  inhabitants  of  Madmenah 
and  Gebim  hurriedly  gather  their  possessions  for  instant 
flight  He  does  not  halt  until,  at  Nob,  he  overlooks  the 
city,  and  brandishes  his  clenched  hand  in  anger  against 
Mount  Zion. 
His  sudden       g^j.   jugj.  ^^  ^^  moment  of  his  triumph,  Jehovah  shall 

destruction  '  •'  ^        •' 

(io:33»34)-  Strike  him  down.  The  lofty  Assyrian  cedars,  like  a 
forest  for  multitude,  shall  be  cut  down  by  one  more 
majestic  still. 

(2)  The  Messianic  Age  to  Follow  Assyrians  Downfall  (11  :  1-16) 
The  royal         The  Assyrian    cedar  sends  forth  no  shoot   from  its 

scion  of 

David's  line  withered   stump,    but   out   of  the   stock  of  the   almost 

ruined  Davidic  family  I  see  a  fair  and  fruitful  Branch 

His  charac-  sprouting,  an  ideal  king.      By  Jehovah  himself  he  shall 

teristics  ^  °  ,  r  i-  •  r 

(11:2),        be    endowed  with  the   perfect  qualities   of  a  ruler, — 

wisdom  and  insight,  prudence  and  heroism,  acquaintance 

Their  practi-vvrith  God' s  will  and  a  willingness  to  do  it     Taking  de- 

cal  manifes- 
tation light  in  every  manifestation  of  true  character,  and  en- 

dowed  with  keen  discernment,  he  shall  not  judge  from 

appearances,  nor  from  testimony,  nor  will  he  tolerate 

160 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  11:15 

any  abuse  of  justice.     The  wicked  will  have  cause  to 
fear  him,  for  righteousness  shall  be  his  garment. 

Then  shall  begin  an  era  of  peace,  when  even  nature  The  reign  of 
will  be  redeemed,  when  wild  animals  will  lie  peaceably  fi^re-g). 
at  the  side  of  their  natural  prey,  so  docile  that  they 
will  follow  a  little  child.  Side  by  side  will  the  cow 
and  bear,  with  their  young  ones,  graze.  Even  the 
poisonous  serpent  will  become  the  harmless  playfellow 
of  the  child.  The  spirit  that  prompts  to  destruction 
shall  be  unknown  in  Palestine,  for  every  one  shall  know 
Jehovah. 

Then  shall  the  whole  world  give  honor  to  the  habita-  The  whole 

world  will 

tion  of  the  king,  for  they  shall  come  up  to  him  to  re-  seek  this 
ceive  instruction.  (i°f  10). 

[In  that  day  Jehovah  shall,  for  the  second  time,  put  The'retum 

'-  •'   -^  '    ^       of  the  exiles 

forth  his  power  to  redeem  his  people  from  many  differ-  ("  :  ",  12). 
ent  countries,  signaling  the  nations  to  restore  the  scat- 
tered exiles. 

After  the  restoration,  all  internal  strife  between  the  two  Samana  and 

,.,  Ill  -1  TT-.  ,./-  ,       Judah  shall 

kmgdoms  shall  entirely  cease.     Uniting  their  forces,  the  co-operate 
reconciled  brethren  shall  pounce  upon  the  Philistines  on       '  ^^' 
the  west,    and  plunder  the  desert  tribes.     They  shall 
subdue  their  neighbor  nations,  so  that  by  Israel's  su- 
premacy the  world  may  be  made  to  serve  Jehovah. 

Jehovah  shall  miraculously  prepare  a  passage-way  for 
the  returning  exiles  from  Egypt  and  Assyria  by  drying 
161 


Isaiah 


15 


Messages  of  the 


The  miracu-  up  the  arm  of  the  Red  Sea,  and  by  so  dividing  up  the 

lous  high-  ^       ,  ,  ,,  .  ,    ,     ^ 

way  for  the  great  Euphrates  that  one  may  walk  across  m  sandals.  ] 

journey 


(II  :i5.i6). 

A  song  of 

faith 

(12  :  1-3). 


A  song  of 
praise 
(12  :4-6). 


It  is  in 
accordance 
with  Jeho- 
vah's world' 
plan 
(14  :  24-27). 


It  will  be 
sudden  and 
complete 
(17:  12-14). 


(3)  Two  Hymns  of  Thanksgiving  (12  :  1-6) 
Then,  O  redeemed  community,  you  shall  sing.  ' '  I 
will  praise  thee,  O  God,  for  now  that  thy  anger  is  turned 
thou  dost  comfort  me.  God  has  been  my  helper  ;  1  will 
give  him  my  trust.  Let  us  constantly  rejoice  in  his 
presence. ' ' 

' '  Praise  Jehovah,  hallow  his  name,  magnify  him  among 
men.  Sound  his  praise,  for  he  hath  wrought  wondrous 
things.  Great  is  he  in  power  and  goodness,  a  friend  and 
protector  in  your  midst." 

(4)  Two  Fragments  concerning  Assyrians  Destruction 
(14  :  24-27;  17:12-14) 

Surely  it  is  my  sworn  purpose  to  break  the  power  of 
the  Assyrian  on  the  hills  of  Canaan,  so  as  to  free  my 
people  from  this  galling  tribute  and  stern  authority.  I 
do  this  in  pursuance  of  my  eternal  plan  for  the  universe  ; 
it  is  necessary  for  the  good,  not  merely  of  Judah,  but  of 
the  world.      My  purpose  is  fixed  ;  it  cannot  be  altered. 

Listen  to  the  noise  of  the  advancing  hosts  of  Assyria, 
recruited  from  many  nations.  It  is  like  the  roaring  of 
the  surging  sea.  Though  they  seem  like  an  overwhelm- 
ing flood,  Jehovah  will  rebuke  them  with  his  voice  of 
thunder.  They  flee,  they  scatter  and  perish.  At  even- 
162 


Earlier  Prophets  2  Kings  18  :  16 

tide  all  are  in  fear  of  them  ;  before  morning  they  have 
disappeared.  So  Jehovah  does  to  those  who  would 
plunder  his  people. 

4.   The  Crisis  at  Jerusalem   (22:  1-14;  33;  36;  37) 

Sennacherib,  in  the  year  701  B.  C,  marched  with  a 
huge  army  to  the  west.  Advancing  along  the  Mediter- 
ranean coast,  he  soon  received  the  submission  of  half  the 
petty  princes  of  Palestine.  Proceeding  to  Philistia,  he 
captured  Ashkelon.  Passing  on  to  Ekron,  he  not  only 
besieged  that  city,  but  inflicted  a  defeat  at  Eltekeh  upon 
an  Egyptian  army  sent  to  its  relief.  Meanwhile  a  de- 
tachment of  the  army  had  been  despatched  to  Judah. 
It  was  irresistible  and  destructive.  It  captured  forty-six 
••cities,"  a  huge  body  of  prisoners,  and  a  vast  amount 
of  spoil.  Hezekiah  was  shut  up  in  Jerusalem  "like  a 
bird  in  a  cage."  At  this  juncture,  overpowered  by  fear,  2  Kings 
the  king,  his  people,  and  his  mercenaries,  submitted, 
and  sued  for  pardon.  Sennacherib  laid  upon  him  a  very 
heavy  fine.  According  to  the  Assyrian  report,  he  even 
forced  Hezekiah  to  send  some  of  his  own  family  to  the 
harem  of  his  conqueror.  The  troops  departed.  The 
city,  although  stripped  of  its  treasures,  seemed  secure 
from  further  danger.  A  thrill  of  reckless  joy  swept 
over  the  people.  They  gave  themselves  up  to  unre- 
stricted feasting  and  merriment.  The  prophet  Isaiah, 
163 


Isaiah  22  :  i  Messages  of  the 

however,  who  felt  no  sympathy  with  this  outbreak,  ut- 
tered this  warning  word  : 

(i)  Jerusalem's  Indifference  to  God  Invites  Further  Judgment 
(22  :  1-14) 

The  proph-       What,  O  citizens,  do  you  mean  by  this  demonstration 

et  s  distress  ''  ■' 

at  the  on  the  house-tops  ?     Is  it  a  time  for  joy,  when  our  de- 

pressions of  liverance  has  been  so  ignoble  ?     Your  warriors  have  not 
joy  (22 . 1-4)-  i^ggj^  gjg- j^  •  j^  battle,  but  ignominiously  taken  prisoners. 

Alas  !  I  am  overcome  by  inconsolable  anguish, 
da  ^  of  ^""^^        ^°^  ^  ^^^  ^'^'^  before  us  a  day  of  tumult  and  trampling 

calamity       and  confusion,  1  when  the  Assyrian  auxiliaries  shall  lay 
(22  :  5-7). 

siege  to  the  city,  when  your  most  fertile  valleys  shall 

be  full  of  troops. 

Their  readi-      A  while  ago,  when  you  realized  the  defenseless  condi- 

ness  to  do        .  ^  ,     ,    ,         .  ,       ,  ,  .  ^     i 

anything  but  tion  of  Judah,  With  what  zeal  you  mspected  the  armories, 

Jehovah       carefully  examined  the  defects  in  the  wall  of  the  citadel, 

(22  :  8-11).     arranged  for  a  good  water  supply,  and  tore  down  houses, 

in  order  to  strengthen  the  wall  !     All  this  you  did,  but 

you  were  regardless  of  Jehovah*  s  relation  to  the  welfare 

of  the  city. 

This  sin  un-     The  danger  in  which  we  stand  should  have  impelled 

pardonable  n        •  i  t^ 

(22  :  12-14).  you  all  to  mourning  and  fasting  and  reflection  ;  but  what 
do  I  see  ? — riotous  mirth  and  feasting.  Truly  Jehovah 
assures  me  that  your  sin  is  inexpiable. 

1  A  series  of  three  remarlcable  assonances  in  the  Hebrew. 
164 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  37  :  4 

(2)  Sennacherib's  First  Demand— IsaiaK s  Promise  (36 :  i  to  37 : 8) 
Soon  after  receiving,  at  Lachish,  the  submission  and 
tribute  of  Hezekiah,  for  some  reason,  not  altogether  clear, 
Sennacherib  determined  after  all  to  take  possession  of 
Jerusalem.  He  sent  several  officers  with  a  small  army 
to  demand  its  unconditional  surrender.  To  the  Judean 
representatives  the  Assyrian  spokesman  urged  that  Egypt 
could  not  be  depended  upon,  and  that  Hezekiah  had 
offended  his  own  deities.  He  also  set  forth  the  extreme 
folly  of  resisting  the  demands  of  a  king  who  was  not 
only  powerful,  but  commissioned  by  Jehovah,  Israel's 
god.  When  entreated  to  discuss  the  subject  in  the 
Aramean  tongue,  he  preferred  to  make  his  plea  in  He- 
brew, so  that  the  multitude  could  understand,  and 
said  : 

"Listen,  O  people  ;  let  not  Hezekiah  persuade  you 
that  he  or  his  god  can  deliver  you  from  our  power. 
Make  peaceable  submission  now,  and  you  shall  dwell  in 
peace  and  safety  until  we  conclude  our  campaigning,  and 
remove  you  to  a  better  land.  How  can  you  possibly 
escape  ?  Is  there  a  single  country  whose  god  has  de- 
livered it  from  our  hand  ? ' '  The  people  kept  silence, 
and  the  representatives  of  king  Hezekiah  brought  him 
the  words.  Dismayed  and  despairing,  he  sent  a  notable 
deputation  to  Isaiah,  saying,  ' '  This  is  a  day  of  distress 
and  chastisement  and  rejection.     We  cannot  meet  this 

165 


Isaiah  37  :  6  Messages  of  the 

crisis  by  our  wisdom.  Will  not  Jehovah  rebuke  these 
insolent  words  by  delivering  us  ? " 

The  prophet  replied  :  ' '  This  is  Jehovah' s  message. 
Ignore  these  boastful  words.  Sennacherib  shall  not 
harm  thee.  I  will  so  fill  him  with  a  spirit  of  uneasiness 
that  he  shall  hear  a  mere  rumor  of  Tirhakah'  s  approach, 
and  hurry  homeward,  there  to  meet  with  a  violent 
death." 

So  Hezekiah  refused  the  demand  of  Sennacherib,  and 
the  envoys  departed  to  inform  him. 

(3)  Jerusalem's  Security  against  the  Treacherous  Foe  (33  :  1-24) 
Woe  to  the        Woe  to  you,  O  treacherous  and  aggressive  foe,  for  you 


faithless 


Sennacherib  shall  be  paid  in  kind  when  your  hour  cometh  ! 

^'    '  O   Jehovah,   be   thy  people's  defense  and    strength. 

t^°TehSvah   Thou  canst  readily  scatter  and  spoil  our  enemies.     To 
(33 :  2-6).      fear  thee  is  our  true  wisdom  and  a  pledge  of  our  deliver- 
ance from  all  evil. 
Judah's  dis-      Bchold  the  warriors  of  Assyria  boasting,  our  ambassa- 
dufon"^  dors  in  distress,  the  land  laid  waste,  the  perfidious  Sen- 

(33  •  7-12).  jiacherib,  the  disheartened  country !  What  a  sad 
prospect !  But  Jehovah  resolves  to  assert  himself,  and 
scatter  these  invaders,  whose  very  breathings  of  pas- 
sionate vengeance  shall  be  fires  to  consume  them. 

Note  this  act  of  judgment,  you  that  are  far  away  or 
near.     To  those  in  Zion  who  have  constantly  scorned  my 
166 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  37  :  lo 

teachings,  it  brings  only  terror.      "How,"  they  exclaim,  Thejudg- 

°  °  •'  ^  ,  ment  and  its 

' '  can  we  live  in  the  presence  of  such  a  God,  who  is  a  diverse 
consuming    fire?"       Absolutely   secure    are   the   truly  (33  :  13.16). 
righteous  in  thought,   word,   and  deed.     They  inhabit 
a  fortress  which  can  never  be  starved  into  surrender. 

In  the  coming  day  the  King  for  whom  we  all  are  look-  The  coming 
ing  shall  be  seen  in  his  beauty.  We  shall  be  reminded  (33 :  17-24). 
by  contrast  of  this  time  of  terror,  of  how  officers  exacted 
the  tribute,  and  of  how  they  surveyed  the  city.  No 
more  will  the  speech  of  the  fierce  invaders  grate  upon 
our  ears.  Jerusalem,  the  center  of  our  worship,  shall  be 
peaceful  and  unharmed,  protected  by  Jehovah  ;  for  he  is 
our  Judge,  Lawgiver,  and  King,  and  he  will  be  also  our 
Deliverer.  Jerusalem  has  been  as  helpless  as  a  ship 
with  tacklings  loosed,  and  mast  unshipped,  and  sails  un- 
spread  ;  but  soon  her  people  shall  seize  upon  abundant 
spoil  ;  even  the  cripples  shall  bear  their  share.  There 
shall  be  in  her  no  more  sickness,  for  all  shall  have  their 
sins  forgiven. 

(4)  Sennacherib^ s  Second  Demand,  HezekiaWs  Prayer,  and  Isaiah's 
Confident  Predictioti  of  Jerusalem' s  Security  (37 :  9-35) 

As  Isaiah  had  predicted,  the  Assyrian  monarch  soon 
heard  that  Tirhakah  was  advancing  against  him  with  a 
great  army.      Jerusalem  was  one  of  the  strongest  for- 
tresses in  Western  Asia.     Not  wishing  to  run  the  risk  of 
167 


Isaiah  37  :  12  Messages  of  the 

leaving  it  in  his  rear,  he  made  one  last  effort  to  subdue 
it  by  intimidation.  A  second  demand  was  sent  ' '  Do 
not  be  deceived  into  thinking  that  your  god  can  deliver 
you  out  of  my  hand.  What  nation  or  what  king  has  ever 
been  saved  in  that  way  ? ' ' 

It  was  a  supreme  crisis.  A  refusal  to  surrender  meant 
a  terrible  revenge,  if  the  angry  king  returned. 

Hezekiah  received  the  letter,  and,  taking  it  to  the 
temple,  prayed  that  Jehovah  would  hear  these  re- 
proaches and  boasts,  and  deliver  his  nation  from  the 
Assyrian' s  clutches  for  his  own  name' s  sake. 

Then  Isaiah  brought  to  him  this  word  of  God  :  "  Hear 
the  answer  to  your  appeal.  Jerusalem,  undefiled,  laughs 
you,  O  Assyrian,  to  scorn  ;i  she  defies  you.  Against 
whom  have  your  reproaches  been  uttered  and  your  pride 
expressed  ,but  against  Israel' s  Holy  One  !  When  you 
boast  of  the  ease  with  which  you  have  triumphed  over 
obstacles  of  every  sort,  can  it  be  that  you  do  not  know 
that  it  was  all  because  I  conferred  upon  you  the  power  ? 
All  that  you  do  is  under  my  control.  To  prove  it,  I  will 
force  you,  like  an  unruly  animal,  back  to  your  place. 
This,  O  Hezekiah,  shall  be  your  sign  ;  For  two  years  the 

1  From  verses  22-29  ^^e  utterance  takes  the  form  of  a  splendid  elegy,  for 
example, 

"  Thee  she  despises  and  at  thee  is  mocking— Zion,  the  virgin  ! 
Behind  thee  her  head  she  is  wagging — the  maiden,  Jerusalem." 

168 


Earlier  Prophets  Isaiah  37  :  38 

regular  operations  of  agriculture  will  be  suspended,  then 
prosperity  will  come.  The  promises  that  I  have  so  often 
reiterated  shall  then  be  fulfilled.  Meanwhile  this  king 
shall  not  besiege  the  city  at  all.  He  shall  return  as  he 
came ;  for  I  will  defend  Jerusalem  for  my  sake,  and  in 
order  to  fulfil  the  promises  given  to  David. ' ' 

{$)  The  Final  Catastrophe  (37  :  36-38) 

While  Sennacherib' s  main  army  was  on  the  borders 
of  Egypt,  a  sudden  pestilence  broke  out  which  caused 
185,000  to  die  in  one  night.  Affrighted  by  such  an 
evil-omened  event,  the  king  withdrew  in  haste  to  As- 
syria, making  no  further  attempt  to  subdue  Jerusalem. 
Some  twenty  years  later  he  was  murdered,  while  at  wor- 
ship, by  his  own  sons. 


169 


THE   MESSAGE  OF   NAHUM 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NAHUM 


THE   PROPHET   OF    NINEVEH's    FALL 

The  prophecy  of  Nahum  the  Elkoshite  is  notable  in 
many  ways.  It  is  a  poem  of  great  vividness  and  force  ; 
it  portrays  with  the  touch  of  an  eye-witness  the  horrors 
of  offensive  warfare  in  ancient  times  ;  it  sets  forth  the 
consciousness  of  a  nation  rather  than  the  counsel  of  a 
prophet ;  it  breathes  out  bitter  vengeance  rather  than 
hopefulness.  Whatever  it  utters  after  the  manner  of  the 
other  prophets  is  a  sort  of  foil  which  adds  to  the  impres- 
siveness  of  the  denunciations. 

Of  the  author  we  know  practically  nothing.  Even  his 
name,  "Consolation,"  maybe  merely  a  suggestion  of 
the  character  of  his  message  to  Israel.  The  village, 
Elkosh,  has  been  variously  identified  with  Al-Kush, 
somewhat  north  of  the  site  of  ancient  Nineveh  ;  with 
Elkese,  a  village  of  Galilee,  mentioned  by  Jerome  ;  and 
as  a  village  of  Southern  Judah.  The  first-mentioned 
locality  is  attractive  in  its  suggestion  that  Nahum  was  an 
Israelite,  expatriated  a  century  before,  but  still  loyal  to 


Nahum  Messages  of  the 

his  ancestral  ideals,  and  that,  as  an  eye-witness,  he  de- 
scribed with  faithfulness  the  closing  scenes  in  the  career 
of  fated  Nineveh.  Much,  however,  can  be  urged  to 
break  the  force  of  these  reasons,  and,  in  fact,  the  ques- 
tion is  unimportant  and  indeterminable. 

The  utterances  preserved  in  the  Book  of  Nahum  are 
not  easily  adjustable  to  a  particular  time.  They  repre- 
sent the  feelings  of  nearly  a  century.  When  Sen- 
nacherib, in  701  B.  C,  suddenly  returned  to  Assyria,  he 
did  not  leave  behind  him  an  independent  Judah. 
Jerusalem  was  inviolate,  but  the  nation  was  a  vassal,  and 
so  remained  for  three-quarters  of  a  century.  The 
prophecy  was  not  delivered  earlier  than  660,  for 
Nahum  uses  as  an  illustration  the  case  of  Thebes 
(No-amon,  3  :  8),  which  was  captured,  in  spite  of  her 
fancied  strength,  by  Asurbanipal  in  663  B.  C.  On  the 
other  hand,  it  cannot  be  later  than  606,  the  year  of 
Nineveh' s  destruction.  Between  these  dates  the  prophet 
must  have  lived.  The  only  clue  to  the  exact  date  of  the 
predictions  is  their  contents,  which  describe  a  hopeless 
outlook  for  haughty  Nineveh. 

Such  an  outlook  could  hardly  have  been  imagined 
before  the  closing  years  of  Asurbanipal' s  long  (668-625) 
and  brilliant  reign.  Egypt  then  successfully  revolted. 
The  resolute  and  hardy  mountaineers,  the  Medes,  be- 
came dangerous  foes.  The  Scythians  swept  down  from 
174 


Earlier  Prophets  Nahum 

the  distant  north,  spreading  unparalleled  desolation 
through  the  wide  and  fertile  Mesopotamian  plains. 
While  none  of  these  foes  ventured  to  attack  the  capital 
city,  they  robbed  it  of  much  of  its  prestige.  When  the 
great  king  died,  his  nation  came  to  an  end  as  speedily  as 
did  Northern  Israel  after  the  death  of  Jeroboam  II. 
Almost  at  once,  according  to  Herodotus,  the  Medes  at- 
tempted an  assault  of  Nineveh,  but  were  obliged  to 
abandon  the  attempt  because  they  were  summoned  back 
to  defend  their  own  homes.  Nearly  eighteen  years  later, 
about  608  B.  C. ,  they  tried  again,  and  within  three  years 
captured  the  city,  and  put  an  end  to  the  Assyrian  em- 
pire. 

It  seems  probable  that  the  words  of  Nahum  were 
called  forth  by  one  of  these  two  crises.  Scholars  are 
fairly  divided  upon  this  point.  In  either  case,  they 
were  probably  antedated  by  the  sermons  of  Zephaniah  ; 
but,  since  Nahum' s  theme  ' '  expresses  the  feelings  not 
of  this  or  that  decade  in  Josiah'  s  reign,  but  the  whole 
volume  of  hope,  wrath,  and  just  passion  of  vengeance 
which  had  been  gathering  for  more  than  a  century,  and 
which  at  last  broke  out  into  exultation  when  it  became 
certain  that  Nineveh  was  falling, "  Mt  may  with  pro- 
priety be  read  in  immediate  connection  with  the  great 
crisis  in  Judah'  s  relation  to  Assyria. 

1  George  Adam  Smith,  in  "  The  Book  of  the  Twelve,"  II,  88. 

^75 


Nahum  Messages  of  the 

The  Book  of  Nahum  contains  two  prophecies  of 
Nineveh's  downfall,  introduced  by  an  impressive  por- 
trayal of  Jehovah's  attributes.  The  attempt  has  been 
recently  made^  to  show  that  the  introductory  portion 
(I  :  1-15  ;  2  :  2)  is,  in  its  present  form,  a  rearrangement 
of  what  was  originally  an  alphabetical  acrostic  poem. 
This  is  interesting,  if  proved  to  be  true.  Since,  how- 
ever, the  rearrangement  did  not  seriously  affect  the 
course  of  thought,  the  whole  question  will  be  ignored  in 
the  paraphrase.  It  may  be  added  that  Nahum  delights 
in  imitative  words  and  in  paranomasia  which  baffle  re- 
production. 

Is  the  short  prophecy  but  a  wild  cry  for  vengeance  ? 
Must  we  pity,  or  honor,  a  prophet  of  Israel  for  giving  ex- 
pression to  it  ?  The  answer  is  not  difficult  when  we  re- 
member that,  to  a  devout  man  of  Judah,  eager  to  promote 
God' s  will  as  taught  by  the  earlier  prophets,  Assyria  was 
the  one  great  obstacle  in  the  way.  Before  Israel  could 
accomplish  any  service  for  God,  her  oppressor  must 
cease.  The  glow  from  her  burning  palaces  became 
the  rosy  dawn  of  a  new  day.  From  only  a  superficial 
point  of  view  was  his  message  one  of  vengeance.  To 
Judah  it  carried  comfort,  encouragement,  and  confidence. 

1  The  work  of  Gunkel  and  Bickell  is  clearly  set  forth  in  "  The  Book  of 
the  Twelve,"  II,  81-84.  Their  results  are  accepted  in  the  main  by  NowacW 
And  Cornili. 


Earlier  Prophets  Nahum  i  :  9 


II 

Jehovah's  nature  a  pledge  of  his  vengeance 
UPON  THE  WICKED  (i  :  1-15  ;  2:2) 

Jehovah  is  a  God  of  vengeance  and  a  jealous  God.  Jehovah's 
He  asserts  himself  in  defense  of  his   rightful  dignity  butes 
against  those  who  have  long  been  ill-treating  his  people.      *  ^'  ^^^' 
He  inflicts  deserved  chastisement  upon  those  who  hinder 
his  righteous  purpose.     He  makes  every  allowance,  he 
delays   his    disciplinary   action    to    the   very   last,    but 
eventually  he  gives  the  wicked  their  deserts. 

The  whirlwind  and  the  storm  are  tokens  of  his  pres-  Their  mani- 
ence  ;   he  treads  upon  the  darkening  clouds.      At  his  through" 
voice  of  thunder  the  great  deep  is  rolled  back,  and  the  °i^J'^b!6). 
rivers  made  dry.     With  the  hot  wind  of  the  desert  he 
parches  the  most  fruitful  fields.      Terrific  earthquakes 
and  trembling  mountains  are  signs  of  his  awe-inspiring 
presence.     Who  can  brave  his  just  anger  in  all  its  fierce- 
ness ?     It  devours  like  molten  lava,  which  beats  down 
every  obstacle  in  its  swift  rush. 

He  protects  those  who  put  their  trust  in  him,  butThecom- 
overwhelms  those  who  are  rebellious,  ^  and  thrusts  them  jehovah% 
into  darkness.     What  do  you  think  of  Jehovah  ?     He  isj"  f^tz)!' 

1  Adopting  the  reading  "  those  who  rise  up  against  him  "  in  place  of 
"  the  place  thereof." 


Nahum  i  :  9  Messages  of  the 

thorough-going  in  his  correction.  Although  his  foes  are 
as  hard  to  destroy  as  a  tangled  thorn-hedge  soaked  with 
moisture,  he  will  devour  them  as  fire  consumes  dry 
stubble.  Out  of  thee,  O  Nineveh,  Sennacherib  came 
forth  long  ago,  who  defied  Jehovah  and  plotted  evil  ; 
but,  though  his  foes  were  like  the  ocean  for  multitude 
and  in  power,  Jehovah  would  overcome  them.  He 
promises  to  give  thee  such  an  affliction  that  it  need  not 
be  done  a  second  time. 
A  promise  to      ««i  am  now  about  to  deliver  thee,  O  Judah,"  saith 

Judah  of  1  <-    1  •  T 

speedy  de-    Jehovah,  "  from  the  oppressive  yoke  of  the  Assyrian ;  I 

liverance  .,,  .  ,         .  ,, 

(i :  13).        Will  loose  thy  fetters. 

Assyria's  Q   Assyria,    Jehovah   himself   commands    that  your 

sentence  ...  .,  ij-i  ji 

(i :  14).        nationality  cease,  and  that  your  temples,  dishonored  by 

the  loss  of  their  idols,  become  your  shameful  tomb. 
Peace  and         Behold,  O  Judah,  your  fallen  foe  !     The  messenger  is 

exaltation  .  •  ,        ,  ,     j      •  j-  r  tt    u 

for  Judah  hastening  with  the  glad  tidings  of  peace.  Hold  your 
feasts  of  rejoicing  and  pay  your  vows,  for  the  enemy 
shall  never  again  raid  through  your  borders  ;  his  end 
has  come.  Jehovah  will  exalt  the  dignity  and  strength 
of  Judah  to  the  standard  of  that  of  Israel  in  her  best 
days.  The  plundering  of  her  choice  possessions  shall 
be  no  more. 


178 


Earlier  Prophets  Nahum  2  :  5 


III 

THE  CAPTURE  AND  PLUNDER   OF  THE  LION's  LAIR 
(2:    I,   3-13) 

O  Nineveh,  your  time  has  come.     Your  destroyer  is  ^\^^^'^llj 
in  sight     Guard  well  the  fortifications,  keep  sharp  watch  to  Nineveh 
of  the  road  by  which  the  enemy  advances,  gird  your- 
self for  bitter,  bloody  warfare,  for  the  death-struggle  is 
at  hand. 

How  brave  a  show  the  hostile  army^  makes  with  the  Appearance^ 
copper-covered  shields  and  scarlet  mantles  of  the  war- ing  army 
riors,  and  the  dazzling  glitter  of  the  chariots,  with  their 
burnished   plates  gleaming    as  they  dash  to  and   fro, 
while  the  horsemen  prance  about,  brandishing  their  long 
lances. 

In  the  wide  stretches  outside   the   inner  walls,    the  a  ski^rmish 
armed   chariots   meet   in   deadly   conflict  ;    they  hurry  urbs  (2:4). 
across  the  open  ground  swift  as  the  lightning,  glisten- 
ing in  the  sunlight  as  if  they  were  fiery  torches. 

Now  the  king  bestirs   himself,    and  summons  those  The_hurried 
whom  he  has  honored  with  rank  and  authority  to  the  effectual 

,  ,     preparations 

defense.    They,  half  stupefied  with  debauchery,  stumble  for  defense 
as  best  they  may  to  the  walls  ;  but  it  is  too  late.     The  ^'^'^'' 
battering-ram  is  in  place,  its  protecting  roof  shielding  it 

1  Probably  referring  to  the  invaders. 


Nahum  2  :  6  Messages  of  the 

The  capture     Crash  go  the  iron  gates  !    Those  at  the  royal  palace 
(2  :  6,  7).      are  overwhelmed  by  terror  and  despair.    Huzzab '  is  dis- 
covered, seized,  and  carried  off  in  shameful  guise,  while 
her  maidens,  mourning  like  doves,  beat  their  breasts. 
The  flight  of     Through  all  her  history,  Nineveh  has  been  like  a  huge 

the  inhab-  «  ^  o 

itants  (2 : 8).  reservoir  into  which  flowed  the  nations  of  the  earth. 
But  these  are  not  her  children,  to  whom  she  may  look 
for  defense.  When  the  breach  is  opened,  they  disappear 
like  the  rush  of  water  through  a  broken  dyke.  Nothing 
stops  their  precipitate  flight  Although  summoned  to 
make  a  stand  in  defense  of  the  city,  no  one  looks  back. 

The  sacking      Now,   O  invaders,   take  the  vast  spoil  of  silver  and 

of  the  city  ^ 

(2:9,10).  gold,  treasures  without  number,  heaps  of  precious 
articles.  There  is  no  limit  to  them.  Alas  !  great  Nine- 
veh is  absolutely  laid  waste.'  Every  survivor  is  over- 
come with  weakness  ;  their  faces  are  ghastly  pale  with 
fear. 

To  Jehovah      Can  this  trembling  city  be  the  lair  of  the  dreaded  lion 

IS  this  judg-  °         ■' 

ment  due  which  no  One  dared  molest  ?  He  foraged  at  his  pleasure 
for  his  whelps,  and  filled  his  cave  with  prey.  The  ex- 
planation is  simple.  Jehovah  has  at  last  determined  to 
bring  her  to  judgment     He  will  destroy  that  invincible 

1  An  obscure  word.    It  refers  probably  to  the  queen. 
3  The  remarkable  trio  of  similarly  sounding  words,  "bukah,  umebukah, 
umebuUakah,"  is  rendered  by  G.  A.  Smith  void  and  devoid  and  desolate  ; 
by  Ewald,  desert  and  desolation  and  devastation  ;  by  Gandell,  sack  and 
sacking  and  ransacking. 

180 


Earlier  Prophets  Nahum  3  :  7 

army,  the  secret  of  her  power  to  bully  and  plunder  all 
nations.  No  more  shall  her  haughty  ambassadors  cajole 
or  threaten  ;  her  spoliation  is  at  an  end. 

IV 

THE  CERTAINTY  OF  NINEVEH's  FATE  (3   :  I- 1 9) 

Woe  to  the  city  of  blood  and  falsehood  and  endless  The  well 

deserved 

robbery  !     Her  time  of  reckonmg  has  come.     An  army  capture  of 
is  at  her  gates  !     Hear  the  crack  of  the  charioteer' s  whip  the^harlot 
and:^the  rumbling  of  the  wheels,  the  galloping  horses,  *^'*^  ^^ '  ^"'♦^* 
and  the  rattle  of  the  chariots  bounding  along.     See  the 
r  horsemen  as  they  charge,  their  swords  flashing  in  the 
air,   their  polished  spears  glistening.      The  contest   is 
fierce,  the  battle-field  a  charnel-house,  the  bodies  of  the 
slain  heaps  over  which  the  victors  stumble.    And  why 
this  carnage  ?     Because  she  has  used  her  prestige  and 
her  charms  in  alluring  and  bringing  to  ruin  every  nation 
under  heaven.     She  is  a  corrupter  of  the  world. 

At  last,  O  Nineveh,  you  must  reckon  with  J^^ovah  Jehovah  will 
himself.     He  will  deal  with  you  as  pitilessly  as  your  own  as  she  de- 
brutal  soldiery  has  been  wont  to  deal  with  hapless  cap-  (3 :  5-7). 
tives.     Since  you  have  delighted  to  play  the  harlot,  a 
harlot's  punishment  shall   you   have.     Shamefully  ex- 
posed and  covered  with  filth,  you  shall  be  pilloried  for 
all  to  gaze  at, — a  fate  so  terrible  that  many  shall  shrink 
181 


Nahum  3:7  Messages  of  the 

from  looking  upon  you,  so  well  deserved  that  none  shall 
be  found  to  pity  you. 
Her  de-  Dq  you  listcu  scomfully  to  this  threat,  saying  in  your 

prove  use-  heart,  ' '  My  defenses  are  secure.  Who  can  capture  me 
^'  'by  assault  ? ' '  Are  you  stronger  than  the  mighty  Thebes, 
the  capital  of  Upper  Egypt,  situated  on  the  broad  Nile, 
which  she  considered  a  sure  defense,  while  Ethiopia  and 
all  the  provinces  of  Egypt  lent  her  aid,  and  Put  and  the 
Lybians  came  to  her  assistance  ?  Yet,  all  these  availed 
nothing  ;  she  was  carried  off  captive.  The  cruel  As- 
syrian soldiers  massacred  her  weaker  population,  while 
her  nobles  were  laden  with  fetters  and  only  spared 
from  slaughter  that  they  might  become  abject  slaves. 
So  shall  you  be  drunken  with  the  cup  of  God*  s  wrath, 
and  be  entirely  powerless  to  make  a  defense.  In  vain 
will  you  seek  a  safe  refuge  from  your  enemy.  Your 
fortresses,  apparently  so  strong,  shall  be  like  ripe  figs 
which  drop  the  moment  they  are  touched.  Your  de- 
fenders lose  all  courage  at  the  news  that  the  entrances 
to  your  land  have  been  forced  and  the  fortresses  burned. 
At  the  critu      The  danger  is  now  at  your  doors.     Make  every  prepa- 

cal  moment  ._f-  ^  /  ,  ,  ,/. 

her  de-         ration  for  defense.     Take  care  that  the  supply  of  water  is 

colnpteteiy    ample  ;  strengthen  the  defenses.     Hasten  to  tread  the 

(3'':  14-17).    cl^y  ^^^  mold  the  bricks  to  repair  all  breaches.     Put 

forth  your  utmost  effort.     It  is  of  no  avail !    When  you 

are  most  active,  fire  shall  consume  your  palaces,  and  the 

182 


Earlier  Prophets  Nahum  3:  19 

sword  your  people.  However  many  your  numbers, 
however  numerous  your  traders,  they  shall  depart  as 
quickly  as  the  locust  which  sheds  its  skin  and  flees. 
Your  princes  and  officers  too  shall  be  like  the  locusts 
which,  though  torpid  when  the  day  is  cold,  come  to  life 
with  the  first  rays  of  the  brightening  sun,  and  take  their 
rapid  flight.  So  will  these  worthies  seek  shelter  at  their 
first  opportunity. 

Your  real  kings,  O  Assyria,  are  long  since  dead  ;  your  Her  fall 
nobles  are  at  rest.     All  have  been  slain,  your  people  and "n-^ 
hopelessly  scattered  on  the  mountains.     There  is  no  re-  (3Ti'^%x 
covery  for  the  nation ;  your  wound  is  fatal,  your  ruin 
irretrievable.    Yet  no  one  will  mourn  for  you.    Rather 
will  every  man  that  hears  the  rumor  of  your  downfall  re- 
joice and  exult,  for  where  can  one  find  a  people  on  the 
earth  which  has  not  felt  your  unceasing  brutality  ! 


183 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZEPHANIAH 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZEPHANIAH 


THE   PROPHET   AND    HIS   SURROUNDINGS 

During  the  closing  years  of  Hezekiah's  life,  whether 
they  were  two  or  ten,  the  prophetic  party  led  by  Isaiah 
appears  to  have  had  undisputed  control  in  Judah.  They 
carried  through  a  reform  of  public  worship  the  extent  of 
which  cannot  be  certainly  determined.  The  remedy 
most  in  favor  for  the  existing  evils  of  worship  and  of 
government  seems  to  have  been  a  centralization,  as  far 
as  possible,  of  all  authorized  activity  at  Jerusalem. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  not  long  after  Manasseh  ascended 
the  throne  there  was  a  reaction,  supported  by  the  king 
himself,  in  favor  of  the  earlier  freedom  of  worship,  with 
all  the  objectionable  practices  which  Isaiah  had  con- 
demned. We  can  only  conjecture  the  cause  of  this  re- 
action. Isaiah  had  probably  passed  away ;  the  hopes 
which  his  glowing  promises  had  excited  may  have  been 
too  definite  and  literal,  or  the  prophetic  reforms  may 
have  been  too  precipitate  and  sweeping.  At  all  events, 
a  bitter  and  bloody  persecution  of  the  prophets  and  their 
187 


Zephaniah  Messages  of  the 

adherents  was  sanctioned.  Possibly  Micah  6  :  9  to 
7  :  6  reflects  this  melancholy  period. 

The  years  of  quiet  isolation  that  followed  were  fruitful 
years  for  prophecy.  Heroic  men  (2  Kings  21  :  10  ff.) 
who  proclaimed  the  judgment  of  God  upon  such  ruthless 
wickedness  were  not  wanting ;  but  the  greater  number 
of  the  men  of  God  used  their  enforced  seclusion  as  a 
time  for  arranging  and  copying  the  valued  sermons  of 
the  earlier  prophets,  for  putting  into  practical  and  most 
effective  form  the  precepts  of  national  and  social  life 
which  had  been  handed  down  from  Moses,  for  tracing 
out  and  editing  the  records  of  the  nation' s  history,  and, 
especially,  for  reflecting  upon  and  reformulating  the 
principles  of  the  divine  government  over  men.  Thus, 
when  another  opportunity  came,  they  were  ready  to 
grapple  with  Judah'  s  spiritual  problems  from  a  broader 
point  of  view.  The  utterances  of  Zephaniah,  Jeremiah, 
and  Habakkuk,  are  the  fruitage  of  this  half-century  of 
thinking. 

The  reigns  of  Manasseh  and  his  son  Amon  lasted 
about  fifty  years.  They  were  vassals  of  Assyria,  and, 
with  one  slight  exception,  entirely  submissive.  Manas- 
seh even  introduced  the  star  worship  of  Nineveh,  and 
made  it  popular.  In  639  B.  C. ,  Amon' s  little  son,  Jo- 
siah,  was  placed  on  the  throne  by  a  revolution,  the  exact 
reason  for  which  is  not  clear.  Whatever  its  cause,  it 
188 


Earlier  Prophets  Zephaniah 

gave  the  prophetic  party  renewed  recognition.  The 
little  king  came  under  the  influence  of  the  prophets,  and 
was  educated  into  sympathy  with  them. 

Close  to  the  king  at  this  time  was  Zephaniah,  himself 
a  relative  through  his  direct  descent  from  Hezekiah. 
His  royal  birth,  however,  did  not  prevent  his  unsparing 
condemnation  of  the  share  of  the  princes  of  the  blood  in 
the  nation's  degeneracy.  Like  his  favorite  author, 
Isaiah,  he  was  a  clear-eyed  citizen  of  Jerusalem,  re- 
ferring repeatedly  to  its  different  quarters,  its  types,  and 
its  perils.  Though  but  little  older  than  the  young  king, 
Zephaniah' s  earnest,  thoughtful  face  must  have  inspired 
those  who  knew  him  with  confidence  in  his  zeal  and 
wisdom.  His  prophecies  show  that  he  was  an  eager  stu- 
dent of  the  writings  of  Isaiah,  although  the  altered  cir- 
cumstances of  his  age  gave  his  thoughts  a  different  form. 

It  was  about  the  fourteenth  year  of  King  Josiah's 
reign,  in  625  B.  C,  that  Zephaniah  was  impelled  to  give 
his  powerful  support  in  public  addresses  to  the  reforms 
which  Josiah  was  aiming  to  carry  through.  He  com- 
plains that  the  nobles  and  other  leaders  are  still  main- 
taining all  the  abuses  of  the  past,  so  that  even  the 
professed  believers  in  Jehovah  are  becoming  skeptical 
of  any  success  in  bringing  about  reform.  Such  a  state 
of  affairs  was  in  itself  a  trumpet-call  of  God  to  the  truly 
prophetic  soul,  yet  such  a  one  would  delay  to  utter  his 
189 


Zephaniah  i  :  2 


Messages  of  the 


message  until  he  could  see  an  indication  of  God' s  prepa- 
ration for  his  work. 

Just  as  the  prophets  of  the  eighth  century  saw  in  the 
Assyrian  the  scourge  of  God,  so  Zephaniah  beheld  some 
unnamed  "guests"  (1:7)  preparing  to  partake  of  Jeho- 
vah' s  sacrificial  banquet  It  is  generally  agreed  that  he 
had  in  mind  the  Scythians,  a  people  like  the  Tartars, 
who,  according  to  Herodotus,  broke  out  from  the  north- 
ern mountains  like  a  storm-cloud,  and  ravaged  all  West- 
ern Asia  as  far  as  Egypt  Since  they  made  their  way, 
about  626  B.C.,  to  the  very  border  of  Egypt,  they  must 
certainly  have  been  a  menace  to  all  Palestine. 

It  was  to  bring  home  to  his  people  the  awful  nearness 
of  God's  purifying  judgment,  and  to  urge  them  to  repent 
before  it  should  be  too  late,  that  the  young  prophet 
lifted  up  his  voice  in  the  streets  of  his  city. 


II 


Jehovah's 
wrath 
against  all 
created 
things 


SERMONS   CONCERNING  THE   COMING  JUDGMENT 

I.   The  Day  of  Jehovah  a  Peculiarly  Distressful  Day  for 
Judah  (i  :  2  to  2  :  3) 

Jehovah,   the  righteous  One,   supreme  Ruler  of  the 

universe,  is  forced  to  announce  a  message  of  judgment 

against  all  who  oppose  his  will  or  his  ways.      •  •  I  will 

sweep  away,"  he  declares,  "everything  on  the  face  of 

190 


Earlier  Prophets  Zephaniah  i  :  lo 

the  earth,  man  or  beast,  fowl  or  fish,  that  contributes  to 
the  spread  of  wickedness  in  the  earth. 

' '  Especially  in  my  city,  Jerusalem,  will  I  stretch  out  my  its  manifes- 

.  •  /■  T%      1  tation  in 

hand  to  smite.  I  will  cut  off  every  vestige  of  Baal  wor-  Jerusalem 
ship.  I  will  purge  from  the  official  roll  both  the  idola-  ^^  "*  ^" 
trous  priests  and  the  unfaithful  priests  of  my  sanctuary. 
I  will  cut  off  all  those  who  worship  the  heavenly  bodies, 
as  well  as  those  who  pretend  to  worship  Jehovah,  while 
they  continue  to  render  homage  to  cruel  Moloch.  The 
same  judgment  will  overtake  those  who  have  openly  re- 
nounced allegiance  to  me." 

Hush!  it  is  Jehovah's  judgment  day.      He  draweth  Jehovah's 

■*       °  ^  sacrificial 

near  to  off"er  Judah  as  a  sacrifice.     His  guests  for  the  feast  (i :  7). 
sacrificial  feast — those  dreaded,  unknown  foes  from  the 
north — he  hath   already  purified,   and   they  await  his 
bidding. 

When  the  sacrifice  is  ready,  I,  the  Lord  Jehovah,  will  ^^jf  ^''^h"* 
seek  out  for  punishment  all  those  who  are  responsible  nobles  and 
for  Judah' s  wickedness.     I  will  visit  retribution  upon  (1:8,9). 
those  nobles  and  princes  who  encourage  all  manner  of 
extravagance,  clothing  themselves  in  costly  foreign  ap- 
parel, and  upon  the  officials  that  use  their  nearness  to 
the  king  as  a  license  for  violence  and  spoil,  dishonoring 
the  name  of  their  royal  master. 

On  that  fatal  day,  when  the  guests  come  to  the  ban- 
quet, a  great  wail  of  despair  and  terror  shall  conte  from 
191 


Zephaniah  i  :  lo 


Messages  of  the 


The  mer- 
chants 
(i  :  lo,  ii). 


The  dis- 
heartened 
and  skepti- 
cal "be- 
lievers " 
(i  :  12,  13). 


The  charac- 
teristics of 
Jehovah's 
day 
(I  :  14-18). 


the  fish-gate  in  the  northern  wall,  where  they  will  enter, 
and  from  the  newly  built  quarter  of  the  city,  where  the 
wealthy  live  ;  and  shrieks  of  alarm  shall  come  from  the 
heights.  Howl,  O  dwellers  in  the  merchant  quarter,  for 
when  the  foe  appears  your  treasures  and  goods  will  be 
the  first  to  be  seized. 

On  that  day,  saith  Jehovah,  I  will  search  Jerusalem 
through  and  through.  None  shall  escape,  for  all  the 
dark  retreats  shall  be  carefully  searched.  I  will  lay  hold 
of  those  who  have  lost  their  zeal,  who  are  listless,  self- 
indulgent,  skeptical  of  all  achievement,  and  indifferent 
about  God.  Their  wealth  others  shall  take  ;  their 
houses  shall  be  despoiled  ;  whatever  they  have  planned 
for  their  selfish  and  cowardly  ease  they  shall  lose. 

This  fateful  day  of  Jehovah  comes  speedily.  It  is 
almost  at  hand.  Listen  !  It  shall  be  a  day  when  even 
the  hardened  warrior  will  weep,  for  then  the  wrath  of 
God  against  evil  shall  be  outpoured,  bringing  distress 
and  hardship,  devastation  and  destruction,  a  day  when 
all  nature  in  sympathy  shall  be  shrouded  in  clouds.  On 
that  day  will  be  heard  the  blast  of  the  war-trumpet  and 
the  waH-iors'  battle-cry  ;  for  the  army  which  Jehovah  has 
invited  to  the  feast  shall  capture  the  fortresses  and  strong 
cities.  Jehovah  will  bring  men  from  distress  to  helpless 
perplexity.  They  have  sinned  beyond  forgiveness,  and 
shall  be  punished  without  pity.  Nothing  can  deliver 
192 


Earlier  Prophets  Zephaniah  2  :  7 

them  from  the  judgment.     It  is  to  be  world-wide  and 
complete. 

Therefore,  O  nation  which  has  too  long  been  indiffer-  A  warning 
ent  to  Jehovah,  take  this  opportunity  to  repent  sincerely  anceS" 
and  serve  him,  before  his  anger  bursts  forth  in  fury  and  (2^1-3). 
scatters  you  like  chaff.  1     Seek  him  also,  you  that  are 
humble   and   obedient.     Strive   earnestly   to    excel    in 
righteousness  and  meekness,   that  you  may  be  secure 
in  that  fearful  day. 

2.   The  Day  of  Jehovah,  a  Day  of  Judgment  against 
Nations'^  (2  .'4-15) 

In  the  day  of  Jehovah  his  judgment  will  be  carried  out  Against 
against  the  nations,  who  have  deserved  his  wrath,  and  first  fj'f  4-7* 
upon  Philistia,  near  the  sea.  Gaza,  the  busy  city  of  traffic, 
and  Ashkelon,  shall  each  become  an  utter  desolation. » 
Ekron  and  Ashdod  shall  be  taken  by  storm,  and  com- 
pletely ravaged.  The  Philistines  shall  cease  to  be  a 
nation.  Their  fertile  land  shall  be  turned  into  pasturage, 
a  resort  for  the  shepherds  of  Judah,  when  Jehovah  brings 
back  his  own  people  from  captivity  to  dwell  in  the  land. 

1  Verses  i  and  2  are  very  obscure.     The  above  seems  to  be  the  general 
meaning,  but  it  involves  one  or  two  uncertain  readings. 

2  This  whole  passage  was  probably  written   originally  in   the  elegiac 
meter  (see  p.  36).     Now  only  verses  4,  5,  13-15,  are  intact. 

8  The  assonance    here    defies    imitation.      Gazzah  gazubah ;    Ekron 
te'aqer. 


Zephaniah  2  :  8 


Messages  of  the 


Against  the 
spiteful  and 
arrogant 
children  of 
Moab  and 
Ammon 
(2:8-11). 


Against 
Ethiopia 
(2:12). 


Against 
haughty 
Nineveh 
(2  :  13-15)- 


Jehovah  1  has  been  listening  all  this  while  to  the  bitter 
insults  of  the  people  of  Moab  and  Ammon  against 
Judah,  and  he  has  seen  their  seizure  of  her  territory. 
Wherefore  he  will  destroy  them  as  completely  as  Sodom 
or  Gomorrah  of  old,  turning  over  their  fertile  territory  to 
nettles  and  barren  salt-pits.  When  the  men  of  Judah 
are  restored  to  their  native  land,  they  shall  also  possess 
these  countries.  Jehovah  will  do  this  because  of  the 
pride  and  arrogance  of  these  heathen  peoples.  By  such 
deeds  he  makes  himself  known  to  the  nations.  They 
will  thus  see  how  impotent  are  their  gods,  and  will  wor- 
ship him  alone. 

O  people  of  distant  Ethiopia,  you  also  shall  be  the 
victims  of  the  avenging  sword  which  Jehovah  will  order 
to  be  drawn  from  its  sheath. 

Especially  will  he  reckon  with  the  haughty  mistress 
of  nations,  Assyria.  He  will  extend  his  hand  to  smite 
her,  and  make  her  an  utter  desolation.  Behold,  then, 
the  light-hearted  city,  Nineveh,  so  confident  of  her 
strength,  so  superior  in  resources,  so  incomparable, 

How  hath  she  become  a  desolation, 
A  lair  of  wild  beasts  ! 
Every  one  passing  by  her  hisseth, 
Shaking  his  hand. 


»  Verses  8-11,  not  being  in  meter,  are  regarded  by  some  scholars  as  an 
interpolation. 

194 


Earlier  Prophets  Zephaniah  3  :  7 

3.  The  Day  of  Jehovah,  a  Means  of  Redemption  for 
Jerusalem  (3  :  1-13) 

Woe  to  Jerusalem,  rebellious  against  Jehovah,   pel-  Jerusalem 
luted  by  bloodshed  and  iniquity,  filled  with  outrage  and  judgment 
oppression  !    She  is  disobedient  ;  she  refuses  instruc-  ^  *  ^'  ^ ' 
tion  ;  she  has  no  faith  in  God  ;  she  draws  not  near  to 
him. 

What  wonder  that  she  is  so,  when  we  consider  her  Her  leaders 
leaders  !     Her  princes   are  as  ravenous   as  lions,  her  corrupt 
judges  as  voracious  and  insatiable  as  wolves  of  evening,  ^^'^'  '^^' 
her  prophets  are  arrogant  boasters  and  men  of  immoral 
conduct ;  her  priests,  instead  of  guarding  the  sanctuary, 
profane  all  things  holy,  and,  instead  of  maintaining  the 
pure  interpretation  of  the  law,  do  violence  to  it. 

Jehovah  makes  Jerusalem  his  dwelling-place.     He  re-  She  is  in- 
peatedly  exhibits  his  righteousness  through  his  word  and  the  evi-  ^° 
works,  but  the  wicked  man  sees  nothing  of  all  this,  and  jehovlh^s 
is  unaffected  by  it.      Repeatedly  he  claims,  "I   have ''^^'■^^'^'" 

•'  ^  '  '  -  and  purpose 

executed  judgment  on  other  nations  from  which  Judah  (3 :  5-7)- 
might  have  taken  warning.     I  thought  that  she  would 
humble  herself,  and  receive  instruction,  and   keep  in 
mind   henceforth   my  commands,    but  only   the  more 
zealously  did  her  people  do  evil." 
Therefore,  wait  until  the  great  day  of  Jehovah' s  mani- 

195 


Zephaniah  3  :  8 


Messages  of  the 


The  day  of 
universal 
judgment 
coming 
(3  :  8). 


Causing  the 
nations  to  be 
converted 
(3  :  9»  10)  • 


Judah,  re- 
duced to  a 
remnant, 
shall  serve 
Jehovah 
(3  :  11-13). 


festation,  when  he  comes  to  bear  witness  of  what  he  has 
seen.  On  that  day  there  will  be  a  universal  judgment 
of  all  nations  ;  for  it  is  his  fixed  purpose  to  execute  upon 
them  that  penalty  which  they  richly  deserve. 

["Then,"  Jehovah  declares,  "will  I  purify  the 
peoples,  that  they  may  be  worthy  to  invoke  my  name, 
and  may  serve  me  whole-heartedly.  Even  from  far  dis- 
tant Ethiopia  shall  my  people  come  with  offerings. ' '  ] 

On  that  day,  O  chosen  people,  so  completely  will  you 
forgo  evil  deeds  that  no  recollection  of  them  will  call 
up  a  blush  of  shame  ;  for  all  your  self-confident  and 
haughty  ones  shall  be  removed,  and  those  who  are  left, 
though  few  in  number,  and  lowly  and  poor,  shall  be 
trustful,  honorable,  truthful,  peaceful,  and  happy. 


II 

THE   SONG    OF   ZION    REDEEMED    (3   :  I4-20) 
[Sing  and  shout  aloud  for  joy,  O  Jerusalem.      Your 


judgments  are  over,  your  foes  defeated  ;  Jehovah,  your 
king,  is  in  your  midst  ;  all  your  troubles  are  at  an  end. 
In  that  day  Jerusalem  will  have  no  cause  for  fear  or 


Jehovah's 
protecting 
presence 
with  Zion 
(3  :  14.  15)- 
Removes  all 

(3T16, 17).  despondency,  for  Jehovah,  who  dwells  in  Zion,  is 
mighty  to  deliver  her  out  of  every  trouble.  He  will 
rejoice  over  every  chance  to  show  his  love  and  happi- 
ness. 

196 


Earlier  Prophets  Zephaniah  3  ;  20 

*'At  that  time,"  Jehovah  promises,    "I  will  gather  Restoration 

,  ,        _  , .  , .  J  ,  .  and  glorifi- 

together  the  Israelites  now  dispersed  among  the  nations,  cation  for 
who  are  longing  for  the  sanctuary  and  for  the  sacred  ^ce  ^  ^^^ 
feasts.     I  will  then  do  all  that  I  have  ever  promised.     I  ^^  •  ^^'  ^°^' 
will  heal  and  restore  my  afflicted  ones,  and  will  make 
them  respected  and  renowned  wherever  they  have  been 
humiliated."] 


w 


JEREMIAH'S  PROPHETIC  ACTIVITY 
DURING  THE  REIGN  OF  JOSIAH 


JEREMIAH'S    PROPHETIC    ACTIVITY 
DURING  THE  REIGN  OF  JOSIAH 


JEREMIAH,    THE   YOUNG    REFORMER 

A  brisk  walk  of  an  hour  northward  from  Jerusalem 
along  one  of  the  great  highways  which  radiate  from  the 
sacred  city,  brings  one  to  the  little  town  of  Anata,  the 
Anathoth  of  the  Hebrews.  It  is  unattractive  to-day,  with 
its  few  poor  hovels,  and  it  must  have  been  insignificant 
also  in  antiquity  (cf.  Isa.  lo  •  30).  Although  shut  off 
from  Jerusalem  by  hills,  it  figured  as  one  of  the  northern 
military  out-posts  of  the  capital.  In  the  days  of  Solo- 
mon, Abiathar,  a  descendant  of  the  priestly  house  of 
Eli,  was  banished  thither  (i  Kings  2  :  26)  ;  and  it  is  re- 
ferred to  elsewhere  (Josh.  21  :  8)  as  the  residence  of 
certain  priestly  families. 

To  one  of  these  families  belonged  Hilkiah,  the  father 
of  Jeremiah.  It  is  easy  to  imagine  that,  on  the  day  of 
his  birth  (which  he  later,  in  a  time  of  deep  despondency, 
bitterly  cursed),  heavy  clouds  shut  out  the  warm  sun- 
shine, and  the  descending  rains  converted  the  filth, 
which  is  never  wanting  in  an  Oriental  town,  into  slippery 
201 


Jeremiah  Messages  of  the 

slime, — a  true  suggestion  of  the  unpleasant  environment 
amidst  which  he  was  destined  to  spend  his  long  life. 

Concerning  his  boyhood,  we  have  some  hints  in  the 
opening  chapters  of  his  prophecy.  In  the  character  of 
his  parents  he  recognized  an  important  element  in  his 
preparations  for  the  work  of  a  prophet.  Possibly  some 
one  of  his  ancestors  belonged  to  that  group  of  disciples 
who  drank  in  and  treasured  the  teachings  of  the  great 
Isaiah.  Jeremiah's  sermons  demonstrate  that  he  was 
also  a  careful  student  of  the  earlier  prophets.  With 
Hosea,  whose  language  and  ideas  made  the  deepest  im- 
pression upon  him,  he  must  have  recognized  the  closest 
kinship,  in  experience  as  well  as  in  thought.  For  both 
lived  in  the  deep  shadow  of  a  great  national  catastrophe 
which  they  were  powerless  to  avert ;  both  were  rejected 
by  their  contemporaries,  and  both,  capable  of  the  most 
intense  happiness,  were  denied  all  the  joys  which  their 
age  held  dear. 

During  Jeremiah' s  boyhood,  spent  in  the  latter  days 
of  Manasseh*  s  reactionary  reign,  that  which  was  purest 
and  best  in  his  nation's  experience  was  found  in  the 
past.  The  heathenism  which  reigned  all  but  supreme  in 
court  and  in  temple  made  the  life  of  a  true  prophet  a 
living  sacrifice.  If,  however,  the  revelation  already 
vouchsafed  to  the  Hebrew  race  was  to  be  preserved,  and 
if  that  nation  was  to  move  forward  instead  of  hopelessly 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah 

reverting  to  heathenism,  such  a  sacrifice  was  absolutely 
necessary. 

Appreciating  facts  like  these,  it  is  not  difficult  to 
understand  the  soul  struggles  reflected  in  the  chapter 
which  tells  of  Jeremiah's  call. 

When  the  final  decision  was  made,  about  the  year 
626  B.  C,  he  must  have  been  still  a  young  man  of 
twenty  or  twenty-five,  since  for  over  forty  years  following 
that  event  he  continued  to  preach  uninterruptedly  to  his 
countrymen.  Those  forty  years  witnessed  more  startling 
changes  than  any  other  four  decades  in  Hebrew  history. 
During  the  entire  period,  Jeremiah  was  in  reality  the 
most  prominent  figure  in  Judah's  life.  His  prophecies, 
so  full  of  historical  allusions,  are  the  best  and  fullest 
sources  for  the  knowledge  of  that  period.  Through  all 
the  varying  changes  of  party  and  political  fortunes,  he 
proclaimed  the  same  eternal  truths,  adapting  them,  as 
necessary,  to  new  conditions.  Naturally  he  frequently 
repeats  himself.  As  with  Hosea's  sermons,  the  situa- 
tion and  the  prophet' s  feelings  were  too  intense  to  favor 
logical  development  and  literary  finish  ;  but  through  all 
of  Jeremiah' s  sermons  one  may  trace  the  evidence  of  an 
ever-deepening  appreciation  of  the  sublimest  truths 
vouchsafed  to  man.  Despised,  often  persecuted,  with- 
out the  consolations  of  wife  or  children,  sometimes  dis- 
couraged, but  never  daunted,  this  great  soul,  faithful  to 
203 


Jeremiah  Messages  of  the 

the  commands  of  Jehovah,  gave  his  all  as  a  voluntary 
offering  for  his  race  and  for  humanity,  thus  presenting 
the  most  conspicuous  example  in  the  old  Hebrew  state 
of  service  perfected  through  suffering  and  complete  self- 
surrender. 

His  earliest  sermons,  which  are  preserved  in  the  col- 
lection made  during  the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim,  reveal 
the  important  part  which  he  enacted  in  connection  with 
the  movement  which  culminated  in  the  great  reformation 
of  62 1  B.C.  under  Josiah. 

At  first  the  prevailing  idolatry,  which  survived  from 
the  days  of  Manasseh,  almost  appalled  him  ;  but  this 
condition  only  brought  out  into  brighter  contrast  later 
successes,  crowned  by  the  public  acceptance  of  the  Book 
of  the  Covenant, — practically  our  present  Book  of  Deu- 
teronomy. Associated  with  him  was  a  faithful  band  of 
prophets  like  Zephaniah,  and  priests  like  Hilkiah,  all 
united  in  one  noble  purpose  to  reform  the  religious  life 
of  their  nation. 

The  foes  from  the  north,  described  in  chapters  4-6, 
are  probably  the  dread  Scythians,  who,  about  626  B.C., 
came  sweeping  down  the  coast  of  the  Eastern  Mediter- 
ranean, furnishing  in  the  terror-stricken  Judeans  an 
audience,  and  in  themselves  an  effective  text,  for  such 
prophets  of  reform  as  Zephaniah  and  Jeremiah.  The 
short  section  preserved  in  verses  1-8  of  the  eleventh  chap- 
204 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  1:1-9 

ter,  probably  contains  extracts  from  sermons  preached  by- 
Jeremiah  about  the  year  621  B.C.,  in  connection  with 
the  institution  of  reform  measures  under  Josiah.  They 
are  the  only  reminders  of  what  must  have  been  one  of 
the  most  active  and  happy  periods  of  the  prophet' s  life. 


II 

Jeremiah's  call  and  commission 

These  are  the  thoughts  which  Jehovah  placed  in  my  The  call  to 
heart  when  he  first  called  me  to  be  his  prophet  :   "From  (iTlf^s). 
your  earliest  days  I  have  surrounded  you  with  holy  in- 
fluences, and  have  stood  in  peculiarly  intimate  relation- 
«  ship  with  you.      Now  I  have  commissioned  you  to  be 
my  ambassador  to  proclaim  my  will  to  the  nations. ' ' 

To  this  call  to  service  I  replied  :  "Alas,  O  Lord,  I  The  re- 
am  not  gifted  as  a  speaker,  and  my  youth  and  inexperi-  (?°6-8). 
ence  unfit  me  for  the  great  task."  But  Jehovah  en- 
couraged  me  with  the  assurance  :  "Whatsoever  I  shall 
ask  you  to  do,  that  will  you  be  able  to  accomplish.  Be 
not  afraid  of  those  whom  you  will  be  called  upon  to  ad- 
dress, for  I  will  ever  be  present  to  deliver  you." 

Then,  symbolizing  my  preparation  for  the  prophetic  The  divine 
office.  Jehovah  touched  my  mouth,  and  declared  that  he  ("iTpf'oj?" 
had  placed  his  word  therein.     He  further  added  that  my 
205 


Jeremiah  i  :  lo  Messages  of  the 

mission  would  be  to  denounce  and  to  proclaim  the  de- 
struction of  the  nations  to  which  I  was  sent,  but  that  I 
should  also  announce  their  ultimate  restoration. 
A  vision  of       Then  there  rose  before  my  troubled  mind  the  vision 

assurance  i  •    ,      /-  i  r  ■%         i 

(i :  II,  12).   of  an  almond- tree,  which  first  awakens  from  the  deep 

slumber  of  winter,  and  which  stands  as  the  symbol  of 

watchfulness.     With  that  vision  came  the  assurance  from 

Jehovah  that  thus  would  he  ever  be  watchful  to  speedily 

fulfil  his  word  which  I  sjiould  proclaim. 

A  vision  of       Again  before  my  mind  rose  the  picture  of  a  huge  cal- 

wheiming     dron  in  the  north  about  to  spill  its  seething  contents 

{?:^i3-^i6V    upon  the  land.     This,  I  soon  learned,  symbolized  the 

fiery  flood  of  war  which  Jehovah  was  about  to  turn  upon 

Judah  ;  for  by  foreign  powers  would  the  sentence  which 

he    was   about   to    pronounce   upon   his    apostate   and 

idolatrous  people  be  executed. 

Further  When  the  divine  command  came  to  declare  the  truth 

assurance  of 

divine  revealed  to  me,  there  came  also  the  assurance  that,  al- 

[1°  17-19?.    though    king,    princes,    priests,    and    prophets,    would 

bitterly   oppose    me,    like    a   strong    fortress    I    should 

stand  out  against  them,  invincible,  because  guarded  by 

Jehovah. 


206 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  2  :  10 


III 

REFORM    SERMONS 

I.   The  Story  of  Judah,  the  Unrepentant  Prodigal 
(2  :  I  to  3  :  5) 

Jehovah  commanded  me  to  go,  and  in  his  name  re-  The  inno- 
mind   the   men    of  Jerusalem  of  the  innocency  which  eaS  days° 
characterized  the  earlier  days  of  their  nation's  history,  ^^  •  ^'3^ 
and  which  the  eternal  heart  of  love  holds  in  such  fond 
remembrance.     Then  the  bond  of  mutual  affection  be- 
tween  him    and    the    people   whom   he    set    aside    as 
sacred  to  himself  was  unbroken.      Woe  to  the  nation 
which  then  presumed  to  wrong  his  chosen  ones  ! 

Listen,  O  Hebrew  race,  to  the  charge  which  Jehovah  Subsequem 

°  •'  infidelity 

brings  against  your  fathers.  Following  their  own  wicked  (2  :  4-13). 
inclinations,  they  soon  forgot  all  his  tender  care  for 
them.  This  fruitful  land,  which  he  gave  them  as  a 
heritage,  they  proceeded  forthwith  to  pollute.  The 
priests,  whose  duty  it  was  to  instruct  the  people  in  the 
law  of  Jehovah,  have  questioned  his  very  existence  ;  the 
rulers,  whose  duty  it  was  to  lead  the  people,  have  dis- 
honored him  ;  the  prophets,  whose  duty  it  was  to  pro- 
claim his  will,  have  spoken  in  the  name  of  Baal.  The 
entire  heathen  world  does  not  present  such  a  strange 
anomaly.  Though  their  deities  are  vain  creations,  no 
207 


Jeremiah  2:11  Messages  of  the 

pagan  peoples  have  exchanged  their  gods  for  those  of 
their  neighbors.       Let  heaven  and  earth  behold  with 
wonder  and  with  horror.     This  people  have  forsaken  Je- 
hovah, the  source  of  all  life,  and  have  placed  their  trust 
in  idols,  the  worthless  works  of  men' s  hands  ! 
The  punish-      Was  it  because  Israel,  like  a  slave,  was  subject  to  the 
merited        caprices  of  his  master  that  his   land   has  been  wasted 
•  ^*  ^7;-    ^y  foreign   conquerors,   and   his  cities  burned  and  left 
uninhabited  ?      You   all   know   the   real   reason.      The 
Egyptians  shall  likewise  devour  your   strength,   O  Ju- 
deans,  for  you  have  deserted  Jehovah,  and  these  shall 
be  the  consequences. 
Judah's  Why  have  you  sought  entangling  alliances,  first  with 

political  and  ^  •^,,  .  .    °        ^  .?. 

religious  Egypt  and  then  with  her  foe,  Assyria,  irreverently  turn- 
("ri?-28).  ing  your  backs  upon  Jehovah,  who  is  your  true  pro- 
tector? He  declares:  "From  your  earliest  days  you 
have  broken  my  commandments,  and  have  refused  alle- 
giance to  me,  preferring  the  vile  service  of  the  gods  of 
your  heathen  neighbors.  The  fault  is  not  mine  ;  for  I 
created  you  perfect,  and  established  you  in  this  land. 
Whence  this  sad  perversion  of  your  character?  The 
moral  stain  is  too  deep  to  be  removed  by  external  cleans- 
ing. It  is  folly  for  you  to  say  that  you  are  sinless. 
Degenerate  are  all  your  tendencies.  Like  a  beast,  your 
animal  passions  rule  you,  leading  you  into  gross  idolatry. 
Rulers,  priests,  prophets,  and  people,  have,  in  secret  at 
308 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  3 :  5 

least,  descended  to  fetish  worship.  As  among  the 
heathen,  each  city  has  its  patron  god.  In  the  time 
of  danger  and  distress,  they  shall  be  cruelly  deceived  who 
trust  in  these  creations  of  their  own  hands. 

"Having  sinned  so  deeply,  do  you  dare  plead  your  Their 
case  against  me  ?  All  my  efforts  to  discipline  and  in-  (2  ;  29-37). 
struct  you  have  met  with  contempt.  The  prophets  whom 
I  sent  to  teach  you  have  fallen  victims  to  your  sword. 
And  yet,  have  I  ever  neglected  my  people  Israel  ?  You 
are  the  ones  who  have  forgotten  me  through  these  long 
years,  devoting  yourselves  to  idolatrous  exercises,  suck- 
ing out  the  blood  of  the  innocent.  Most  hateful  of  all 
is  the  self-complacency  with  which  you  assert  that  you 
have  done  no  wrong.  I,  Jehovah,  will  reveal  your  per- 
fidy. The  new  alliance  with  Egypt  will  bring  to  you 
only  disaster. 

"How  contrary  to  instruction  and  the  commands  of  Empty 

,,...  11TT  1       •  r  1  words  insuf- 

the  law  It  is  for  a  man  to  take  back  a  divorced  wife  ;  and  ficient 
yet  you  think  that  you  can  forsake  me,  and  indulge  in  pardon'^^ 
all  the  lewd  rites  connected  with  the  worship  of  idols,  ^^ '  ^"^^* 
and  then  return  to  me  guiltless.     In  vain  do  you  cry, 
'  My  father,'  trusting  that  because  of  the  kindness  which 
I  showed  you  in  your  youth,  and  because  of  my  compas- 
sion, I  will  forgive  you,  even  though  your  wicked  deeds 
give  the  lie  to  your  professions." 


209 


Jeremiah  3 :  6 


Messages  of  the 


Judah  the 
more 
culpable 
(3  :  6-11). 


Pardon  and 
restoration 
for  Israel 
(3  :  12-15). 


Extension 
of  the  old 
covenant 
(3  :  16-18). 


2.   Promises  to  Israel  and  Judah,  if  they  will  Repent 
(3  :  6  to  4  :  2) 

On  another  occasion,  during  the  reign  of  Josiah,  Jeho- 
vah gave  me  this  message  :  ' '  Thou  hast  seen  the  apos- 
tasy of  the  northern  kingdom,  and  how  it  has  failed  to 
learn  the  lesson  of  repentance.  Judah' s  treacher>^  how- 
ever, is  more  unpardonable  than  Israel's  apostasy,  for 
the  men  of  the  south  were  warned  by  the  terrible  fate 
which  overtook  the  northern  kingdom,  and  yet,  while 
they  hypocritically  profess  to  be  contrite,  they  per- 
sistently go  on  sinning. 

'  •  O  northerners,  when  once  you  acknowledge  the  error 
of  your  ways,  I  will  forgive  your  sins  ;  and,  again  ac- 
cepted as  my  covenant  people,  I  will  bring  you  back  to 
Jerusalem.  I  will  also  set  over  you  righteous  rulers  and 
teachers  to  guide  and  instruct  you. 

"When  the  numbers  of  the  faithful  remnant  of  the 
Hebrew  race  have  increased,  the  narrow  limitations  of 
the  old  covenant,  which  was  symbolized  by  the  ark,  will 
be  broken  down,  and  the  ancient  forms  of  worship  will 
be  abandoned  ;  for  then  Jehovah  will  no  longer  be  con- 
ceived of  as  dwelling  in  one  especial  place.  Jerusalem 
shall  be  the  center  of  his  world-wide  rule,  which  shall  be 
joyfully  recognized  by  all  peoples.  No  longer  shall 
men  oppose  their  own  stubborn  wills  to  that  of  the 
Eternal.  [Then  shall  the  Judeans,  who  are  soon  to  be 
210 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  4  :  3 

scattered,  be  gathered  from  the  lands  of  their  captivity 
to  inhabit  and  enjoy  this  fair  portion  of  the  earth  which 
was  assigned  to  their  ancestors.] 

"Thus  it   is    my  purpose   not   only  to  give   you    aTmecon- 
princely  heritage,  O  Israelites,  among  the  people  of  the  one  and 
earth,  but  also   to   adopt   you   as   my  own.      Alas  !  O  conduion 
nation  Israel,  how  your  apostasy  is  defeating  my  gracious  ^^  "  ^9-2S)- 
intentions  !     Yet,  the  moment  you  truly  repent,  I  will 
remove  all  traces  of  your  sins.     Approach  me  with  the 
genuine  prayer  of  contrition,  saying :  'We  come  unto 
thee,  who   art  the  true,  the  only  God,      The   heathen 
deities  whom  we  have  worshiped  are  a  delusion.     Thou 
art  indeed  the  saviour  of  our  nation.      Grossly  have  we 
and  our  fathers  sinned  against  thee  in  devoting  our  best 
gifts  to  base  idols,  disobeying  thy  gracious  commands. 
In  shame  we  hide  our  faces. ' 

"If  thus,  O  Israel,  you  will  confess  your  sins,  con- The  fruits  of 
firming  your  words  by  your  deeds,  then  shall  the  heathen  (4  : 1, 2). 
world  beholding  such  loyalty  be  speedily  attracted  to 
Jehovah,  and  with  you  enjoy  his  rich  blessings." 

3.   The  Judgment  Approaching  from  the  North 
(4  :  3  to  6  :  30) 

Give  heed,  O  Judeans,  to  Jehovah' s  words  of  warn-  Repent 

.  while  there 

mg  :   "Overcome  your  evil  tendencies,  and  open  your  is  time 
hearts  to  my  transforming  influences,  lest  I  bring  upon     '  ^'  ^'' 
211 


Jeremiah  4  :  4  Messages  of  the 

you  that  overwhelming  destruction  which  you  so  richly 
merit" 
The  ap-  Spread  the  alarm  !     The  dread  foe,  who  is  to  execute 

proach  of 

the  foe  Jehovah' s  judgment,  is  already  at  hand.  Flee,  O  Judah, 
^"^  ■  ^"'  ■  to  your  walled  cities.  Like  a  fierce  lion  this  destroyer 
of  nations  is  rapidly  advancing  to  devastate  your  lands. 
Lament,  for  no  mercy  will  be  shown.  Surprise  and 
horror  because  of  the  magnitude  of  the  calamity  which 
threatens  shall  overwhelm  all  classes.  Yet  there  is  no 
mistake  on  the  part  of  Jehovah.  Your  deeds  have 
called  down  this  fate  upon  you.  Repent,  do  right, 
and  the  catastrophe  may  yet  be  averted. 
Destruc-  As  the  prophet  of  the  people,  I  am  overcome  with 

tion,  over- 
whelming,   terror  and  grief,  so  sudden  and  horrible  is  the  disaster 

well- 

merited,  and  which  impends.     Yet  I  cannot  intercede  for  them,  since 
unavoidable  -^  j^  ^^^  ^^  ^j^^.^.  ^^jj^^     ^^j  n^XMX^  is  affccted  by  the 

fearful  judgment.       It   is   Jehovah's    purpose,    by   the 
hands  of  these  pitiless  foes,  to  render  the  land  a  barren 
waste,  although  he  will  spare  a  few.     Vain  shall  be  the 
measures  by  which  the  people  will  seek  to  deliver  them- 
selves.    Amidst  unutterable  woes,  shall  proud  Jerusa- 
lem fall  before  the  murderous  invaders. 
ve^saUor-        ^^  ^  righteous  man  could  be  found  in  this  wicked  city, 
Terasakm     J^^^^ah  would  gladly  spare  it ;  but  so  vitiated  is  the  at- 
preciudes      mosphere  that  all  are  affected  by  the  prevailing  hypocrisy 
(5 : 1-9).       and  impiety.      The  leaders  are  as  corrupt  as  the  mis- 

212 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  5:31 

guided  masses.  In  view  of  their  black  record  in  the 
past,  and  their  present  disobedient  attitude,  Jehovah  can 
do  nothing  else  than  give  over  his  careless,  adulterous 
people  as  a  prey  to  these  hunters  of  men. 

Advance,  therefore,  destroyers.     Northern  Israel  andThecom- 
Judah  alike  have  spurned  Jehovah,  and  laughed  to  scorn  destroy  the 
his  prophets  who  warned  them  of  coming  retribution,  peipfe 
The  Lord  will  confirm  the  words  of  his  messengers  ;  but  ^^  "  ^°*^9^* 
woe  to  those  who  doubt     The  instrument  with  which  he 
will   execute  vengeance  is   a   powerful  ancient  nation, 
courageous,  bloodthirsty,  and  speaking  a  foreign  tongue. 
Like  a  locust  scourge,  these  insatiable  invaders  will  de- 
stroy everything  before  them.      Only  a  remnant  of  Jeho- 
vah's   people   will   survive   to   taste   the   bitterness   of 
slavery  in  a  foreign  land. 

Can  you  not  see  and  appreciate  the  danger  which  im-  The  per- 
pends ?     Do  you  feel  no  awe  in  the  presence  of  Jeho-  edness  J'th J 
vah,  who  rules  supreme  in  the  natural  world  ?     Alas  !  of°hdr^°'^ 
there  is  no  reverence  in  their  hearts.     Sin  has  blinded  (r.^ai^i) 
their  eyes.     They  are  so  intent  upon  defrauding  their 
fellows  that  they  disregard  their  duties  both  to  God  and 
to  their  neighbors.     Superlative  impiety  !    The  prophets 
in  the  name  of  Jehovah  tell  lies,  and  abet  the  priests  in 
their  unjust  practices,  while  the  masses  rejoice  in  such 
leaders  as  these. 

Sound  the  alarm  throughout  the  whole  land.     Jerusa- 
213 


Jeremiah  6  :  i  Messages  of  the 


It  will  soon 
be  too  late 
for  deliver- 
ance 


lem'  s  fate  is  sealed.  The  hills  upon  which  the  city  is 
built  shall  again  be  uninhabited  ;  the  quiet  resort  of 

(6"! -8).  shepherds,  as  in  the  days  before  it  was  built.  Already 
the  besiegers  are  completing  their  plans  for  the  capture 
of  the  wicked  condemned  capital.  Will  you  not  avail 
yourselves,  O  Jerusalemites,  of  an  opportunity  to  save 
by  repentance  your  homes  from  bitter  desolation  ? 

Only  retri-        Let  the  w^ork  of  destruction  begin  at  once,  and  be 

bution 

awaiting  complete.  They  heed  not.  The  message  of  the  true 
misled  peo-'  prophet  has  become  odious  to  them.  Their  con- 
p  e  (  .  9-21).  ^-gj^p^-^Q^g  attitude  toward  truth  arouses  only  righteous 
indignation.  There  is  no  hope,  for  greed  rules  them  all. 
The  official  priests  and  prophets  teach  falsely.  Instead 
of  boldly  pointing  out  the  guilt  which  is  proving  the  na- 
tion' s  ruin,  they  have  lulled  the  people  into  their  present 
fatal  indifference  by  saying,  "All  is  well,"  while,  in 
fact,  nothing  is  well.  For  their  perfidy  they  feel  no 
compunctions.  Therefore  they  shall  share  a  like  fate 
with  their  victims,  the  masses.  In  vain  has  Jehovah 
pointed  out  clearly,  by  the  mouths  of  his  true  prophets, 
the  cause  which  he  wishes  his  people  to  follow,  and 
which  alone  can  bring  them  to  peace  ;  but  they  have 
defiantly  refused  to  listen.  After  such  conduct,  let  them 
not  think  that  his  favor  can  be  purchased  with  rich  obla- 
tions and  sacrifices. 

I  assure  you  in  the  name  of  Jehovah  that  a  great 

214 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  6  :  30 

nation  is  sweeping   down    upon    you    from  the  distant  The  ap- 

preaching 

north.     A  cruel,  merciless  host  are  they,  all-engulfing  invader 

,...,,  ,  .  All  (6 :  22-26). 

and  as  irresistible  as  the  surging  sea.     Already  a  rumor 

respecting  them  has  reached  your  ears  and  chilled  your 

hearts.     You  would  do  well  bitterly  to  lament,  because 

of  the  terrible  flood  of  invasion  which  may  burst  upon 

you  at  any  moment. 

Jehovah  has  commissioned  me  to  test  the  character  of  The  nation 

,    X    1  /-  1     •  ,        n  •  incapable  of 

this  nation,  and  I  have  found  it  completely  wanting,  niorai  eleva- 
All  are  rebellious  in  their  attitude  toward  Jehovah,  and  (6  :  27-30). 
deceitful  in  their  relations  with  each  other.  It  is  useless 
to  attempt  to  eliminate  the  evil  elements  from  the  good, 
for  they  are  indissolubly  united.  The  result  is  that  the 
whole  nation  is  worthless,  and  has  already  been  rejected 
by  Jehovah. 

4.   Enforcing  the  Nation' s  Covenant  with  Jehovah 
(II  :i-8) 

The  aim  of  my  earlier  sermons  was  partially  realized.  Jeremiah  as 

an  apostle 

In  the  face  of  impending  calamity,  the  people,  outwardly  of  the 
at  least,  turned  to  Jehovah,  and  listened  to  the  injunc-  (in°i^8). 
tions  of  his  faithful  priests  and  prophets.  The  new  law- 
book, distinctly  defining  the  duties  and  obligations  of 
the  prophet  of  Jehovah,  was  brought  forth  from  the 
temple,  publicly  read,  solemnly  accepted  by  the  as- 
sembled Judeans,  and  promulgated  as  a  law.  At  that 
215 


Jeremiah  ii  :  i-8 

time  Jehovah  prompted  me  to  remind  the  people  of  that 
sacred  covenant,  from  the  earliest  times  the  basis  of  the 
peculiar  relation  between  him  and  their  race,  and  to  en- 
join upon  them,  under  penalty,  carefully  to  heed  its 
every  injunction.  To  the  divine  command  I  was  re- 
sponsive, and  went  forth  on  a  preaching  tour  through 
the  cities  of  Judah,  and  especially  in  the  streets  of  Jeru- 
salem, to  explain  and  enforce  the  terms  of  the  old  cove- 
nant made  with  our  forefathers  when  they  came  from 
Egypt.  In  my  teaching  I  pointed  out  how  they,  alas  ! 
disregarded  Jehovah' s  earnest  exhortations  to  obedience, 
although  it  was  the  supreme  duty  and  privilege  of  the 
later  and  more  enlightened  generation  to  avoid  the  grave 
mistakes  of  the  past,  and  to  enjoy  to  the  full  the  bless- 
ings attendant  upon  doing  his  will 


216 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HABAKKUK 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HABAKKUK 


THE   DATE    OF    THE    PROPHECY 

Respecting  the  date  of  the  short  prophecy  which 
bears  the  superscription,  "The  Oracle  which  Habakkuk 
the  Prophet  did  see,"  neither  the  title  nor  contemporary 
records  give  any  testimony.  The  distinct  reference  to 
the  Chaldeans,  in  the  first  chapter,  as  an  active  world- 
power,  with  which  the  Judeans  are  already  well  ac- 
quainted, indicates  that  it  must  be  later  than  the  great 
battle  of  Carchemish  in  605  B.  C. ,  when  the  supremacy 
of  southwestern  Asia  passed  for  the  first  time  into  the 
hands  of  these  new  conquerors.  The  same  chapter  re- 
flects the  amazement  and  horror  with  which  the  people 
of  Palestine  viewed  the  rapid  advance  of  the  Chaldeans. 
There  is  little  doubt,  therefore,  that  the  present  prophecy 
comes  from  the  closing  years  of  the  seventh  century 
B.  C.  The  conditions  in  Judah,  referred  to  in  the  open- 
ing verses,  are  those  which  we  know  resulted  from  the 
weak,  reactionary  policy  of  the  selfish  Jehoiakim.  The 
prophet  was  one  of  that  remarkable  group  of  inspired 

ai9 


Habakkuk  Messages  of  the 

workers  who,  like  Jeremiah,  had  witnessed  the  glorious 
reformation  of  Josiah  and  the  peace  and  prosperity 
which  followed  in  its  train,  and  who  had  survived  to  see 
all  that  glory  swept  away  and  their  beloved  land  spoiled 
by  foes  from  within  and  from  without 

As  a  patriot  and  a  faithful  follower  of  Jehovah,  he 
voices  the  cry  of  anguish  and  doubt  which  must  at  that 
time  have  burst  from  many  lips  ;  as  an  inspired 
prophet,  he  answers  that  cry  with  the  firm  assurance 
of  faith.  The  lyric  ode,  preserved  in  the  third  chapter, 
and  dedicated  "to  Habakkuk  the  prophet/'  has  so 
many  affinities,  in  language  and  in  thought,  with  post- 
exilic  psalms,  that  it  is  regarded  by  many  as  the  work  of 
a  later  writer.  Whether  the  conclusion  be  accepted  or 
not,  it  must  be  admitted  that  it  completes  the  thought 
of  the  book,  and  therefore  amply  justifies  its  present 
position.  In  sublimity  of  thought  and  of  diction,  it  is 
surpassed  by  few  passages  in  the  Old  Testament 


220 


Earlier  Prophets  Habakkuk  1:1-12 

II 

A  DIALOGUE  BETWEEN  THE  PROPHET  AND  JEHOVAH. 

THEME "HOW  LONG   SHALL  THE  WICKED  BE 

ALLOWED    TO   TRIUMPH    OVER   THE 
RIGHTEOUS?"  (l  :  I  to  2  :  4) 

How  long  in  vain,  O  Jehovah,  shall  we  beseech  thee  The  proph- 
to  put  an  end  to  the  deeds  of  bloodshed  and  wrong  desp2?° 
which  constantly  offend  our  eyes  and  chill  our  hearts  ?  ^^  *  ^"'*^' 
Surely  thou  seest  that  it  is  impossible  for  a  righteous 
man  to  secure  justice  before  the  public  tribunals.     Why 
dost  thou  thus  allow  evil  to  triumph  over  right  ? 

Open  your  eyes,  O  prophet,  and  behold  the  nation  Jehovah's 
rapidly  advancing  through  which  I  purpose  forthwith  to  (^^:^.ii). 
inaugurate  a  new  epoch,  undreamed  of  in  human  his- 
tory. Already  these  energetic,  pitiless  Chaldeans  are 
launched  on  their  career  of  spoliation  and  of  conquest 
Like  fierce  beasts  of  prey,  their  cavalry  are  sweeping  all 
before  them.  Kings,  armies,  and  strong  fortresses  are 
powerless  to  check  their  destructive  advance.  Their 
rule,  however,  shall  not  endure  forever,  for  they  make 
their  own  might  their  god.  Overwhelming  pride  shall 
prove  the  source  of  their  downfall. 

Yea,  Lord,  we  know  that  thou  art  eternal,  and  that  we  The  proph- 
shall  not  be  utterly  destroyed.     We  recognize  that  thou,  perpie^xi> 
who  art  just  and  omnipotent,  hast  sent  forth  this  new  ^'■"~^'^^' 
221 


Habakkuk  i  :  12  Messages  of  the 

world-conqueror  as  thy  instrument  of  judgment ;  and 
yet,  how  canst  thou,  the  altogether  Righteous,  remain 
silent  while  these  impious  Chaldeans,  by  deceit  and 
violence,  destroy  men  and  nations  far  less  deserving  of 
such  a  fate  than  are  they,  the  destroyers  ?  How  long 
wilt  thou  allow  them,  unchecked,  to  prey  upon  helpless 
peoples,  growing  fat  upon  the  plunder  which  their  mer- 
ciless armies  have  stripped  from  the  victims  of  their 
swords  ?  I  can  only  wait  and  watch  until  Jehovah  gives 
me  an  answer  to  these  crushing  questions,  which  are 
pressing  upon  the  hearts  of  the  faithful,  and  which  are 
threatening  to  destroy  all  faith  in  his  power  or  in  his 
willingness  to  deliver  in  the  time  of  danger  and  stress. 
Jehovah's  Inscribe  the  message,  O  prophet,  upon  tablets,  and 
comfort  make  it  so  plain  that  its  contents  can  be  apprehended  at 
(2  •  2-4).  ^  glance  ;  for  it  shall  soon  be  confirmed  by  the  events  of 
history.  ' '  Pride  dominates  these  rapacious  Chaldeans, 
therefore  their  ultimate  downfall  is  certain  ;  but  the 
righteous,  because  of  their  moral  integrity  and  believing 
fidelity,  which  are  the  absolute  essentials  of  life,  though 
now  crushed  and  oppressed,  shall  surely  survive  the 
present  crisis." 


222 


Earlier  Prophets  Habakkuk  2:13 


III 

REASONS  WHY  THE  DOWNFALL  OF  THE  CHALDEANS 
IS   ASSURED  (2    :  5-20) 

The  Chaldeans  are  intoxicated  with  self-pride.      Like  Their  false 
the   drunkard,   they   have   only  a  false,   distorted  view  lust  for 
of  reality.     Their  appetite  for  rapine  and  conquest  is  (""'^s"!). 
as  insatiable  as  is  Sheol  itself.     The  time  will  speedily 
come  when  the  nations  which  are  now  the  victims  of 
their  rapacity  shall  taunt  them,  saying,   "Woe  to  this 
robber,    laden  with  unrighteous  plunder  !     At  last  his 
day  of  retribution  has  come.      He  himself,  at  the  hands 
of  the  peoples   spoiled   by  him,   shall   experience  the 
wrongs  which  he  has  so  ruthlessly  inflicted. ' ' 

Woe  to  that  selfish  nation  which  seeks  to  add  to  its  Their  selfish, 

11  111-1  1         unprincipled 

own  Strength  and  resources  by  plundermg  other  peoples,  policy 
The  crimes    thus    committed  will    cry   out    to    heaven      '  ^'^^ 
for  redress,  and    certain  vengeance   shall  overtake  the 
Chaldeans. 

Woe  to  that  unprincipled  nation  which  rears  its  proud  Their  base 
capital  through  the  toil  and  life-blood  of  conquered  ambitions 
races.      It  is  not  in  accordance  with  Jehovah's  purpose  "^'^^' 

that  men  should  thus  vainly  sacrifice  their  energy  and 
their  innocence  to  attaining  material  power  and  posses- 
sions.    Instead,  it  is  the  Lord' s  will  that  the  knowledge 
223 


Habakkuk  2  :  14  Messages  of  the 

of  his   character  and  grace  become  the  common  and 
treasured  possession  of  every  human  being. 
Their  heart-      Woe  to  that  merciless  nation  which  causes  the  peoples 

less  treat- 

ment  of  their  about  to  reel  and  to  fall  insensible,   like  one  who  has 
"a^^is-iy).     drunk  a  poisonous  drug,  that  it  may  exult  in  their  down- 
fall.     It,    in   turn,    shall  know  the   taste  of  Jehovah's 
wrath  ;    and  all  its  present  glory  shall  be  changed  to 
humiliation  and  shame.     The  wanton  crimes  committed 
against  this  fair  land  of  Canaan  shall  be  visited  upon  its 
guilty  head. 
Their  foolish      Woe  to  that  supcrstitious  nation  that  trusts  in  images 
(2:18-20).    of  wood  and  stone,    dead,    dumb  idols,    made  by  the 
hands  of  artisans,  and  incapable  either  of  instructing  or 
of  delivering  their  devotees.      How  utterly  different  is 
Jehovah,  the  God  of  spirit,  who  abides  in  his  holy  sanc- 
tuary !    Let  all  creation  stand  in  silent  awe  before  him. 


IV 

THE   PRAYER    OF    FAITH A    LYRIC    ODE   (3) 

The  invoca-  I  heard  thy  message,  and  I  was  affrighted. 

tion  (3  :  s).  -pj^y  work  revive  yet  again,  O  Jehovah  ; 

Ere  long  reveal  thyself  strong  to  deliver  ; 

Mercy  forget  not  when  judgment  thou  sendest 

The  Almighty  will  come  as  of  old, 
The  Supreme  from  his  ancient  abode, 
224 


Earlier  Prophets 


Habakkuk  3:12 


With  his  glory  the  heavens  are  spread 
And  his  praise  fills  the  earth,  far  and  wide  ; 
For  his  splendor  is  like  the  clear  light ; 
He  has  rays  coming  forth  from  his  hand, 
And  therein  has  he  hidden  his  strength. 
The  dread  pestilence  goes  on  before, 
Burning  fever  pursues  in  his  track  ; 
Now  he  stands,  and  behold  the  earth  rocks, 
At  his  glance  mighty  nations  do  quake, 
And  the  mountains  eternal  fall  down. 
Low  before  him  the  ancient  hills  bow. 
God  to-day,  as  of  old,  is  the  same. 

Egypt's  sons  in  sad  plight  I  behold 

Lo,  the  men  of  wild  Midian  fear  ! 

Art  thou,  Lord,  again  wroth  with  the  streams, 

That  in  terror  before  thee  they  flee  ? 

Is  thy  fury  now  turned  toward  the  seas, 

That  thou  drivest  thy  swift  steeds,  the  clouds, 

Which  thy  chariots  of  victory  draw  ? 

That  thou  barest  thy  bow  for  the  strife. 

So  that  cleft  are  the  seas  by  thy  stroke  ? 

In  thy  presence  the  mountains  retire. 
The  great  floods  seek  in  fear  to  depart. 
The  abyss  also  lifts  up  his  voice. 
The  proud  heights  raise  toward  heaven  their  hands, 
Both  the  sun  and  the  moon  cease  their  course, 
At  the  gleam  of  thy  bolts,  as  they  fly. 
At  the  flash  of  thy  spears,  as  they  glance. 
Since  in  anger  thou  treadest  the  earth, 
And  in  fury  thou  smitest  thy  foes. 
225 


The  re- 
sponse 
(3  :  3-6). 


The"  purpose 
of  Jehovah's 
advent 
(3  :  7-iS). 


Habakkuk  3  :  13-19 

To  deliver  thy  sons  art  thou  come, 

To  dehver  thine  own  art  thou  here. 

Wicked  foes  hast  thou  cast  to  the  earth, 

Their  last  hope  hast  thou  torn  from  their  hearts. 

Their  defenders  are  smitten  with  spears — 

They  who  come  as  a  tempest  to  smite 

And  devour  the  afflicted  with  joy. 

Thou  hast  trodden  the  sea  with  thy  steeds  ; 

Finite  man  in  thy  presence  is  weak. 


Effect  of  the 
revelation 
upon  the 
prophet 
(3  :  16-19). 


I  heard  the  message,  and  fain  would  I  tremble. 
Quivering  seized  me,  beholding  the  vision. 
Courage  departed,  my  bones  lost  their  power. 
Terror  and  fear,  at  first,  wellnigh  o"  ercame  me. 
Calmly  and  peaceful  I  wait,  while  destroyers 
Ruthlessly  ravage  the  lands  of  my  nation. 
Yea,  though  the  fig-tree  put  forth  no  new  blossoms. 
Though  on  the  vines  no  fresh  fruitage  is  springing, 
Though  the  green  olive  rewards  not  the  labor, 
Though  the  tilled  fields  do  not  yield  a  fair  increase, 
Though  the  last  flocks  be  destroyed  in  the  sheep-folds, 
Though  all  we  cherish  be  swept  from  our  country 
Yet,  as  for  me,  glory  I  in  Jehovah. 
I  will  rejoice  in  Jehovah,  my  Saviour, 
God  is  my  strength,  my  delight,  my  defender  ; 
He  will  uphold,  will  protect,  will  exalt  me, 
Filling  my  soul  with  a  joy  never  dying. 


226 


JEREMIAH'S  ACTIVITY  DURING  THE 
REIGN  OF  JEHOIAKIM 


JEREMIAH'S  ACTIVITY  DURING  THE 
REIGN  OF  JEHOIAKIM 


THE   CHANGED   SITUATION 

The  twelve  years  of  the  reign  of  Josiah  which  followed 
the  reformation  were  the  brightest  in  the  history  of 
Judah.  Immunity  from  foreign  attacks  enabled  that 
worthy  prince  and  his  able  advisers  to  organize  the  re- 
sources of  his  little  kingdom,  and  to  extend  its  influence 
until  the  southern  part  of  the  territory,  formerly  belong- 
ing to  the  northern  Israelites,  fell  under  his  sway.  More 
important  still,  the  prophetic  party,  who  included  in 
their  ranks  all  who  truly  worshiped  the  Jehovah  of  the 
prophets  as  opposed  to  the  Jehovah  of  whom  the  igno- 
rant masses  conceived,  found  in  Josiah  a  strong  cham- 
pion ;  for  he  advanced,  by  the  influence  of  the  throne, 
and,  if  need  be,  by  the  sword,  the  principles  inculcated 
by  the  prophets  in  their  sermons  and  by  the  priests  in 
the  written  law.  The  effect  of  a  half-century  of  idolatry 
could  not,  however,  be  effaced  in  one  moment,  nor  even 
in  a  decade. 

The  tendencies  toward  a  more  sensuous  nature-wor- 
229 


Jeremiah  Messages  of  the 

ship  were  inborn  in  the  popular  heart,  while  the  austere 
moral  demands  of  the  new  prophetic  religion  were  too 
exalted  to  be  clearly  appreciated  by  the  masses,  and  too 
counter  to  all  their  cherished  traditions  not  to  arouse 
their  secret  antagonism. 

While  prosperity  crowned  the  efforts  of  the  reforming 
party,  blind  popular  discontent  found  no  open  expres- 
sion ;  but  when  Josiah,  who  had  gone  out  against  the 
Egyptian  king,  Necho,  confident  that  Jehovah  would 
give  him  the  victory,  fell,  slain  on  the  plain  of  Megiddo, 
that  opposition  became  apparent. 

After  Necho  had  brushed  aside  the  foolhardy  king, 
who  sought  to  hinder  him  in  his  eastward  march,  he 
hastened  onward  to  meet  more  important  foes.  The 
prophetic  party  improved  this  respite  to  raise  to  the 
kingship  Shallum,  a  younger  son  of  Josiah,  who  as- 
sumed, on  ascending  the  throne,  the  name  of  Jehoahaz. 
They  undoubtedly  hoped  that  he  would  be  able  to 
revive  the  shattered  fortunes  of  the  kingdom,  and  carry 
on  the  religious  policy  so  nobly  instituted  by  his  father  ; 
but  the  disaster  on  the  plain  of  Megiddo  destroyed  their 
influence  with  the  majority  of  the  people.  The  masses 
clamored  for  the  old  regime  which  had  been  set  aside 
by  Josiah,  while  the  return  of  Necho  within  a  few 
months  deprived  the  prophetic  party  of  the  last  vestige 
of  power.  Recognizing  that  Jehoahaz  represented  the 
230 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah 

supporters  of  his  enemy,  Josiah,  the  Egyptian  king  car- 
ried off  the  young  Judean  monarch  in  chains  to  the  land 
of  the  Nile.  Jeremiah  refers  touchingly  to  this  incident 
in  chapter  22  :  10-12  of  his  prophecy.  "Lament  not 
over  the  death  of  Josiah,  but  wail  for  his  son  Shallum 
(Jehoahaz ;  cf.  2  Kings  23  :  30,  and  i  Chron.  3:15), 
who  has  been  carried  away  into  the  land  of  captivity, 
where  he  shall  die,  never  again  rejoicing  his  eyes  with  a 
view  of  his  native  land." 

Jehoiakim,  Josiah' s  eldest  son,  was  appointed  king  by 
Necho  in  place  of  Jehoahaz.  For  the  patriotic  prophetic 
party  a  worse  choice  could  not  have  been  made.  Not 
only  was  the  new  king  lacking  in  sympathy  with  reform 
and  in  ability  as  a  ruler,  but  he  also  soon  showed  him- 
self a  foe  to  the  true  prophets  and  a  champion  of  the 
old,  half-heathen  party  which  had  survived  from  the 
days  of  Manasseh,  and  which  now  was  in  the  ascen- 
dency. He  seems  to  have  lacked  completely  all  patri- 
otic ambitions.  Although  he  reigned  at  a  time  when 
Canaan  was  the  coveted  possession  for  which  the 
Egyptians,  led  by  Necho,  and  the  Chaldeans,  led  by 
Nebuchadrezzar,  were  struggling,  he  made  national  in- 
terests entirely  secondary  to  his  personal  greed  and  to 
his  passion  for  splendid  buildings.  In  vain  Jeremiah 
exhorted  him  to  rule  righteously,  that  his  family  might 
enjoy  the  blessings  promised  them,  and  that  the  over- 
231 


Jeremiah  Messages  of  the 

whelming  judgment,  which  Jehovah  would  otherwise 
visit  upon  Jerusalem  and  Judah,  might  be  averted 
(21  :  II  to  22  :  9). 

In  chapter  22  :  13-19,  the  prophet  presents  an  esti- 
mate of  the  young  king' s  character,  which  is  confirmed 
by  other  references  :  ' '  Woe  to  that  ruler  who  builds  his 
palace  with  funds  gained  by  unjust  exactions  and  unfair 
decisions,  who  forces  his  subjects  to  toil  for  him,  and 
pays  them  nothing  ;  whose  dominant  ambition  is  to  rear 
a  large  and  magnificent  residence.  Do  you  think, 
Jehoiakim,  that  it  is  essential  that  you  as  a  king  sur- 
pass all  other  potentates  in  the  splendor  of  your  palace  ? 
Your  father  was  deemed  by  all  a  successful  king, — and 
why  ?  Because  he  was  a  just  ruler,  giving  his  first  atten- 
tion to  those  who  needed  his  help.  This  is  Jehovah' s 
will.  But  you  are  intent  only  upon  securing  dishonest 
gains.     You  hesitate  not  at  murder  and  cruel  oppression. 

"Therefore,  this  shall  be  your  fate  :  your  dead  body 
shall  be  cast  out  like  that  of  a  beast.  Neither  your  kin- 
dred nor  your  family  shall  mourn  your  death.  No  one 
shall  be  found  to  say  a  kind  word  concerning  you,  when 
you  are  dead." 

Under  such  a  ruler  as  Jehoiakim,  Judah  began   to 

take  that  sudden  and  fatal  plunge  which  ended  in  her 

ruin.     It  was  an  age  when  the  most  optimistic  could  do 

little  but  mourn.     To  the  patriot  and  the  enlightened 

232 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah 

prophet,  who  was  enabled  to  estimate  the  true  trend  of 
events,  the  folly  and  the  crimes  of  the  period  appeared 
by  contrast  all  the  more  lamentable  because  outlined 
against  the  almost  ideal  reign  of  Josiah.  We  have 
reason  to  believe  that  Jeremiah  preached  constantly 
throughout  the  reign  of  that  noble  prince  ;  but  when  he 
collected  his  earlier  sermons,  in  the  fourth  year  of  Jehoia- 
kim,  it  was  for  the  purpose  of  laying  them  before  this 
king.  Naturally,  the  addresses  of  denunciation  and 
warning,  such  as  would  be  best  adapted  to  the  moral 
needs  of  that  depraved  ruler,  were  selected.  The  result 
is,  that  we  have  little  information  respecting  what  must 
have  been  the  brighter  and  more  hopeful  side  of  Jere- 
miah' s  character  and  work. 

In  the  reign  of  Jehoiakim  the  circumstances  were  even 
more  hopeless  than  when  he  entered  upon  his  career  of 
reform  under  Josiah.  Now  the  people  stood  in  the  full 
light  of  the  reformation,  enforced  by  the  teachings  of  the 
prophets.  Their  return  to  idolatry,  therefore,  was  a  de- 
liberate turning  of  the  back  upon  higher  truth.  In  so 
doing,  they  showed  their  sodden  contempt  for  the  ex- 
hortation of  the  true  prophets.  Instead  of  enjoying  the 
support  of  Josiah,  Jeremiah  was  constantly  the  victim  of 
the  secret  opposition  or  the  open  persecution  of  Jehoia- 
kim. Most  of  all  Jeremiah  must  have  felt  the  lack  of 
the  companionship  of  that  earnest  body  of  true  priests 
233 


Jeremiah  11:9  Messages  of  the 

and  prophets  whose  place  was  filled  for  the  most  part  by 
fawning  tools  of  the  king.  These  men,  prophesying  in 
the  name  of  Jehovah,  undermined  the  influence  of  the  true 
ambassadors  of  the  Highest,  and  ultimately  wrecked  their 
state.  Earlier  hatred  of  Jeremiah  broke  forth  into  per- 
sonal persecutions.  Fiercer  denunciations  and  a  more 
hopeless  tone  now  characterize  his  prophecies.  A  deep 
despondency  not  infrequently  seized  him.  Through 
those  trying  years,  however,  he  continued  fearlessly  to 
proclaim  the  eternal  truths  which  make  his  sermons 
messages  for  all  times. 

II 

THE  REACTION  AGAINST  THE  PROPHETIC  TEACHING 
I.  Judah'  s  Return  to  the  Old  Heathenism  (11  :  9-17) 
Unpardon-        Gradually  the  conviction  forced  itself  upon  me  that  the 
(11 : 9-17).    reformation  of  Josiah  had   not  taken   hold   upon   the 
hearts  of  the  people.     First  in  secret,  now  openly  under 
Jehoiakim,    they  have  revived  the  degenerate  heathen 
customs  and  superstitions  which  the  Book  of  Deuter- 
onomy forbade.     The  old  Canaanitish  gods  continue  to 
command  the  homage  of  the  Judeans,  and  of  those  who 
survived   from   ancient   Israel.     Thus   they   again    are 
grievously  transgressing  the  terms  of  the  sacred  covenant 
between  their  nation  and  Jehovah.      Each  city  has  its 
234 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  1 1  :  23 

patron  god,  while  even  in  the  streets  of  Jerusalem, 
under  the  shadow  of  Jehovah' s  temple,  as  in  the  days 
of  Manasseh,  altars  are  set  up  to  Baal.  Let  them  not 
think  that  they  will  escape  Jehovah's  judgment  for  this 
shameful  treachery  and  apostasy,  or  that  their  idols  will 
deliver  them.  It  will  be  useless  for  the  faithful  prophet 
to  intercede,  since  Jehovah  will  grant  no  mercy  to  such 
shameless  offenders.  Their  presence  and  their  offerings 
in  the  temple,  instead  of  securing  his  favor,  only  pollute 
his  sanctuary  the  more.  The  destruction  of  this  once 
fair  nation,  from  which  Jehovah  expected  so  much,  has 
already  begun,  and  its  apostasy  will  bring  it  rapidly  to 
completion. 

2.  The  Plot  against  Jeremiah  at  Anathoth  (ii:  18  to  12:6) 

Not  suspecting  treachery,  I  retired  from  the  revolting  Treachery  of 

.  Jeremiah's 

sights  of  opposition,  which  confronted  me  m  Jerusalem,  feiiow- 
to  the  quiet  of  Anathoth,  my  native  town.  Little  did  I  (iiT?8-23). 
dream  that  my  friends  would  try  to  intimidate  me  into 
silence,  and  would  even  lay  plans  to  drag  me  down  to 
death.  If  Jehovah  had  not  opened  my  eyes  to  the 
danger,  like  an  innocent  lamb  I  should  have  fallen  a 
victim  to  their  deceitful  hate.  Indignant  at  the  outrage, 
I  prayed:  "O  thou  righteous  Judge,  punish  the  perpe- 
trators of  this  crime."  Soon  the  assurance  came  that  an 
overwhelming  judgment  would  ere  long  overtake  them. 
235 


Jeremiah  12:1  Messages  of  the 

His  com-  As  I  meditate  upon  these  and  similar  wrongs,  O  right- 

(12  : 1-4 ;  cf.  eous  Lord,  perplexing  questions  disturb  me.  How  canst 
17  •  14-1  •  ^j^^^  permit  men  to  commit  crimes  like  these  with  appa- 
rent impunity  ?  Thou  knowest  how  I  have  labored  and 
suffered  for  thee.  How  long  wilt  thou  grant  prosperity 
to  them,  while  I  have  only  persecution  ?  Let  misfortune 
fall  heavily  upon  those  who  deserve  it  so  richly,  and  who 
defy  thy  divine  authority. 
Greater  Xo  my  Cry  of  despondeucy,  Jehovah  replied  :  "If  you 

(12  : 5,  6).  are  daunted  and  discouraged  by  the  attack  of  your  towns- 
men at  home,  how  will  you  bear  the  assaults  of  the  in- 
furiated populace  at  Jerusalem,  and  the  woes  which  will 
befall  you  as  a  prophet  of  truth  when  war  relaxes  all  law 
and  order  ?  Still  closer  shall  strike  the  blow.  Your  own 
kinsmen  are  plotting  against  you,  and  are  trying  to 
frighten  you  from  the  path  of  duty.     Trust  them  not" 

3.  A  Temple  Discourse — Condemnation  of  Judah 

(7  :  I  to  8  :  3) 

The^scene         Early  in   the  reign   of  Jehoiakim,   Jehovah's   spirit 

within  led  me,  on  a  great  feast  day,  to  take  my  stand 

near  one  of  the  chief  gates  of  the  temple  court,  where 

the  people  were  pouring  in  from  all  parts  of  the  land  of 

Judah,  and  in  his  name  to  deliver  this  message:  "If 

your  beloved  state  is  to  be  preserved  from  destruction 

amidst  the  deadly  perils  which  threaten  on  every  side, 

236 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  7  :  14 

there  must  be  a  radical  reform  in  your  religious  life.  Notcere- 

monialism, 

Deceive  not  yourselves  by  pointmg  to  this  temple,  and  but  moral 
by  saying  that  it  is  the  Lord's,  and  is  therefore  invio- wiiilave 
lable;  think  not  that  you  can  shield  yourselves  from  dis-  ^^'  ^"^'' 
aster  by  ceremonial  service.      I  will  tell  you  plainly  the 
form  of  service  which  alone  is  acceptable  to  me :  in  the 
courts  impartially  dispense  justice  toward  the  weak  and 
defenseless  in  the  community,   be  kindly  considerate, 
hold  human  life  sacred,  and  abstain  from  all  idolatry.     If 
you  conform  to  these  reasonable  demands,  then  will  I 
give   to   your   state  that   immortality  which  you  crave 
for  it. 

"Alas!   you  are  trusting  to  fatal  fallacies.     You  sin  Their  pres- 
against  all   the  laws  in  the  Decalogue,   and   persuade  leads  to 
yourselves  that  you  can  then  come  up  to  this  sanctuary  (yVs-i")?" 
with  blood-stained  offerings  in  your  hands,  and  be  ab- 
solved from  all  your  crimes.      Do  you  consider  that  my 
holy  temple  was  designed  to  be  an  assembling  place  for 
highwaymen  ?     Such,  at  least,  you  make  it.     Recall  the 
complete  destruction,  at  the  hands  of  the  hated  Philis- 
tines, which  overtook  my  ancient  sanctuary  at  Shiloh, 
where,  for  so  many  years,  my  ark  rested.     That  shrine 
was  as  sacred  as  is  this  one ;  but,  because  of  the  wicked- 
ness of  your  fathers,  I  caused  it  to  be  transformed  into 
the  ruin  which  you  behold  to-day.     Even  so,  because  of 
your  crimes,  will  I  level  this  temple  to  the  earth.     You 
237 


Jeremiah  7:15  Messages  of  the 

shall  be  carried  away  into  captivity,  as  have  been  your 
northern  brethren. 
Intercession       < « Let  no  One  intercede  for  this  people,  for  it  will  be  in 

useless  while  -i         i  •,  i 

they  persist  vain.  Men,  women,  and  even  the  children,  devote  them- 
idoiaT/y  sclvcs  zcalously  to  the  worship  of  other  gods,  as  though 
(7  :  16-20).    ^^^^  5Qig  2S.m.  was  to  arouse  my  indignation.     They  have 

succeeded  in  so  doing,  and  my  consuming  wrath  shall  be 

visited  upon  all  which  they  hold  dear. 
Morality,  ' « Continue  to  bring  your  sacrifices  to  the  temple,  if  the 

not  cere-  >^    i       i  i         • 

moniaiism,    practice  givcs  you  pleasure.     Only  do  not  deceive  your- 
jXJvah  ^  selves  by  thinking  that  it  means  anything  to  me.     When 
(7  .  21-2  ).     J  jg^  your  fathers  forth  from  Egypt,  I  laid  upon  them  no 
commands  concerning  offerings  and  sacrifices.      My  only 
injunction  was  that  they  conform  in  their  lives  to  the 
standards  of  faith  and  practice  which  I  had  and  which  I 
should  reveal  to  them.     To  make  clear  my  will  I  have 
sent  to  them  many  and  faithful  prophets  ;  but  they  have 
paid  no  attention  to  my  commands,  and  the  later  gen- 
erations have  been  more  defiant  than  the  earlier.     There- 
fore, expect  not,  O  Jeremiah,  that  they  will  heed  your 
words,  for  they  have  lost  the  power  of  appreciating  truth. ' ' 
Thejudg-         Condemned  are  you  as  a  nation,  O  Judeans.     Tophet, 
(7^:  29-8 : 3).  down  in  the  valley  of  Hinnom,   where  many  a  Jewish 
child  has  been  burned  to  death  by  its  parents  as  a  victim 
to  the  loathsome  heathen  superstitions  which  you  still 
cherish,    shall   be  the   scene   of  the  great  judgment 
238 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  26  :  1 3 

' '  Valley  of  slaughter ' '  shall  it  ever  after  be  called,  be- 
cause there  shall  lie  exposed  the  corpses  of  the  thousands 
slain.  The  dead  also  shall  share  in  the  universal  retri- 
bution, for  their  bones  shall  be  dragged  from  their  graves 
to  moulder  beneath  the  stars  which  they  worshiped. 
The  few  who  survive  shall  in  their  misery  envy  the  dead 
their  immunity  from  suffering. 

4.    The  Prophet's  hnpeachment  and  Trial {26  :  7-24) 

While  Jeremiah  was  delivering  this  scathing  sermon  of  Effect  of  his 
denunciation,  the  wild  rage  of  the  crowds,  which  pressed  discourse 
close  about  him,  was  aroused.     At  the  close,  the  people,  ^  "  ^  ^  ' 
led  by  the  official  priests  and  prophets  present,  laid  hold 
on  him,  charging  him  with  treason  and  blasphemy  in 
prophesying  that  the  temple  and  Jerusalem  were  des- 
tined to  be  laid  in  ruins. 

Being  informed  of  the  popular  demonstration  against  The  charge 
the  prophet,  the  princes  hastened  from  the  palace  to  the  the  prophet 
temple,   and  took  their  seats  by  the  entry  of  the  new  defense 
gate  of  the  sanctuary  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  the  ^^  '  '°'*5)- 
case.       The    priests    and    prophets    present    forthwith 
demanded  that  Jeremiah  be  put  to  death,  because  he 
had  dared  to  predict  the  destruction  of  their  city.     To 
the  charge  he  replied  :   "I  was  divinely  commissioned  to 
prophesy  as  I  have.     Your  duty  it  is  to  heed  and  obey, 
for  then  the  doom  which  impends  will  be  averted.     To 
239 


Jeremiah  26  :  14 


Messages  of  the 


Citation  of 
precedents 
and  ac- 
quittal of 
Jeremiah 
(26  :  16-24). 


that  end  has  Jehovah  sent  me.  I  am  in  your  power. 
Put  me  to  death  if  you  wish.  Only  remember,  that  in 
slaying  a  God-sent  prophet,  you  will  bring  upon  your- 
selves and  upon  your  city  a  grievous  burden  of  guilt." 

Influenced  by  the  words  and  the  calm  demeanor  of  the 
prophet,  the  princes,  seconded  by  the  people,  acknowl- 
edged the  truth  of  his  defense,  and  declared  him 
unworthy  of  death.  At  this  crisis  also  certain  of  the 
older  and  more  experienced  men  recalled  two  well- 
known  precedents  :  "In  the  days  of  Hezekiah,  Micah, 
the  Morashtite,  in  public  predicted  in  equally  unequiv- 
ocal language  the  complete  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  ^ 
Instead  of  putting  him  to  death  for  blasphemy,  the  king 
and  the  people  of  Judah  listened  to  his  warnings,  and 
the  judgment  which  he  predicted  was  averted.  If  we 
put  Jeremiah  to  death  we  would  commit  a  heinous  crime 
against  our  nation. 

"You  all  shudder  when  we  remind  you  of  the  fate  of 
Uriah  of  Kirjath-jearim,  who,  a  short  time  ago,  uttered 
the  same  prophecy  against  this  city  and  land.  Prompted 
by  a  resentful  spirit,  Jehoiakim  our  king  and  his  coun- 
sellors sought  to  put  him  to  death.  Hearing  of  it, 
Uriah  fled  to  Egypt,  but  Jehoiakim  brought  him  back 
and  slew  him,  and  cast  his  body  into  the  potter' s  field. 
We  have  shed  enough  of  the  blood  of  the  prophets." 

I  Micah  3  :  12. 
240 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  8:12 

By  these  arguments  and  through  the  powerful  in- 
fluence of  his  friend  Ahikam,  the  son  of  Shaphan, 
Jeremiah  was  saved  from  death  at  the  hands  of  the  mob. 

Ill 

MESSAGES    OF    DENUNCIATION    AND    WARNING 

I.   Indifference  in   the   Face   of  Certain  Judg7nent 
(8  :  4  to  9  :  22) 

When  a  man  falls  down,  his  first  effort  is  to  get  on  his  Moral  in- 
feet  again.  This  people  are  in  the  depths  of  moral  the  nation  ° 
degradation,  and  yet,  instead  of  attempting  to  rise,  they  ^^  :4-i2). 
only  endeavor  to  deceive  themselves  into  believing  that 
they  have  not  fallen.  No  one  of  them  thinks  of  repent- 
ing, and  of  admitting  that  he  has  broken  God's  laws. 
Instead,  they  pervert  their  divinely  given  instincts,  and 
set  up  their  own  wisdom  as  final,  while  their  scribes 
deliberately  falsify  the  written  law,  so  that  it  conceals 
rather  than  reveals  Jehovah' s  will.  Priest  and  prophet 
unite  in  so  misleading  the  people  that  they  are  incapable 
of  distinguishing  between  the  words  of  the  true  and 
those  of  the  false  prophets.  With  their  perverted  law 
and  messages,  the  leaders  have  lulled  themselves  as  well 
as  the  nation  into  a  fatal  sense  of  security,  so  that  they 
unblushingly  commit  the  grossest  crimes. 

Since  there  is  no  hope  of  reforming,  Jehovah  can  do 
241 


Jeremiah  8:13  Messages  of  the 

A  dread       nothing  else  than  destroy  these  wicked  servants,  root 

awaitsThem  and  branch.     When  they  hear  the  roar  of  the  mighty  foe 

*  ^^"^^^'     advancing  from  the  north,  their  false  sense  of  security 

will  be  changed  to  terror  and  despair.     Then  Jehovah 

will  spare  not,  but  will  complete  the  judgment. 

Lament  of         As  I  behold  the  dread  fate  awaiting  my  country,  I  am 

the  prophet  ,,-,.•,  ■■  ^  •  •,•■•■ 

over  the        Overwhelmed  with  sadness.      I  can  picture  the  doubts 

(8  :  18-9 :  6).  and  the  remorse  which  will  then  take  possession  of  all 

hearts.     When  it  is  too  late,  they  will  bitterly  regret  the 

supreme  opportunities  which  they  are  now  spurning.     Is 

there  no  way  of  saving  this  nation  at  once  from  its  sins 

before  it  is  forever  too  late  ?    Anguish  inexpressible  fills 

my  heart  because  of  the  sickening  tragedy  which  I  am 

forced  to  witness.     Gladly  would  I  endure  the  privations 

of  desert  life,  if  I  could  escape  the  sight  of  the  crimes 

which  are  daily  enacted  in  every  part  of  the  land.    When 

my  countrymen  open  their  mouths  it  is  to  utter  lies  ; 

they  are  adept  only  in  deceiving ;  their  entire  energy  is 

devoted  to  doing  iniquity,  so  that  they  find  no  time  to 

think  of  God  and  of  truth. 

The  impend-      Such  shocking  degeneracy  can  only  be  remedied  by 

cause°foT  ^  the  most  drastic  measures.     Jehovah  will  send  invasion, 

wa"mng        drought,  desolation,  and  exile  to  accomplish  the  work  of 

(9 :  7-22).      purification.     Soon  these  woes  will  descend  upon  your 

land,  and  then  in  the  presence  of  disaster  and  death  you 

will  all  join  me  in  bitterest  lamentation. 

242 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  46  :  4 

2.  The  Proper  Attitude  in  the  Face  of  the  Great  Dattger 
(10  :  17-25) 

Hold  yourselves  in  readiness  to  leave,  as  captives,  Prepare  for 
this  city  which  you  regard  as  impregnable.  In  imagi-  (10!  17-22). 
nation  I  can  hear  the  piteous  wails  which  you  will  utter 
when  the  calamity  overtakes  you,  and  the  bitter  re- 
proaches you  will  heap  upon  your  impious,  incompetent 
rulers,  because  they  have  betrayed  you.  Already  the 
dread  news  comes  from  the  north  that  the  foe  is  ad- 
vancing, carrying  desolation  in  his  track. 

In  the  presence  of  such  a  danger,  let  this  be  your  Prayer  in 
prayer  :   ' '  Thou,  O  Lord,  art  infinite,  and  we  are  helpless  peopiI°^  '^^ 
in  thy  hands.      Discipline  us  as  thou  seest  best,  but  re-  ^'°  '  ^^-^s)- 
strain    thy    anger,    lest    we    be   completely   consumed. 
Rather  visit  thy  fury  upon  the  heathen  who  defy  thee, 
and  seek  to  destroy  us,  thy  people. ' ' 


IV 

THE   APPROACH    OF   THE    CHALDEANS    UNDER 
NEBUCHADREZZAR 

I.   Defeat  of  the  Egyptians  by  Nebuchadrezzar  at 
Carchemish  in  605  B.  C.  (46  :  2-12) 

Marshal  all  your  forces,  O  Necho  ;  put  them  in  battle  The  first 

1     •  ,        .  ,.  ,  ,  picture  of  the 

array  ;  brmg  your  cavalry  mto  Ime  ;  complete  the  final  battle 
arrangements  ;    now  for  the   onset     What  !  your  army  ^'^^  '  ^'^^ 
243 


Jeremiah  46  :  5  Messages  of  the 

turns  back  !  your  mighty  warriors  flee  !     Terror  seizes 
the  Egyptian  host.     Vain  are  their  efforts  to  escape  ; 
beside  the  Euphrates  have  they  fallen. 
The  second       Behold  Necho'  s  mighty  army,  rolling  on  like  a  swollen 
Sgyp^t^s        torrent,  devastating  everything  which  lies  in  its  track. 
^Jl':  T^-12).    In  his  pride  the  Egyptian  king  expects  to  overrun  the 
whole  earth,  destroying  and  conquering  all  the  nations. 
Let  the  host  advance — cavalry,  chariots,  bowmen,  Ethio- 
pians and  warlike  Lybians — to  meet  their  fate,  for  this 
day  Jehovah  has  determined  to  execute  vengeance  upon 
them   for  the    many  wrongs  which   they  have   perpe- 
trated.    Vain  are  your  efforts,  O  Egyptians,  to  retrieve 
your  fallen  fortunes.     Your  prestige  among  the  nations 
is  gone.     Before  a  mightier  foe  you  shall  bite  the  dust 

2.   The  Divi7ie  Judgment  upon  the  Nations  Executed  by 
Nebuchadrezzar  (25  ;  cf  47-49) 

Occasion  of       In  the  year  604  B.  C. ,  soon  after  the  Chaldeans  con- 
(25:1,2).     quered  the  Egyptians  at  Carchemish,   and  Nebuchad- 
rezzar ascended  the  throne  of  Babylon,  Jeremiah  deliv- 
ered  the   following   prophecy  in   the   presence   of  the 
Judeans. 
judah's  For  twenty-three  years  I  have  faithfully  and  zealously 

rejection  of  '  ' 

Jehovah's     delivered  to  you,  O  Judeans,  the  messages  which  Jeho- 

(25 : 3-7).      vah  has  given  me.      Other  prophets  have  been  equally 

true,  but  all  our  calls  to  repentance  have  been  fruitless. 

244 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  25  :  38 

Therefore  Jehovah  has  given  to  Nebuchadrezzar  rule  Nebuchad- 
over  powerful  peoples,  and  has  selected  him  as  his  ser-  Jehovah's 
vant   to    subjugate    and   to   destroy   you,    O   rebellious  po'inted  to' 
nation.     He  is  "the  foe  from  the  north,"  of  whom  I  so  jJS^^ent^ 
often  warned  you  and  your  wicked  neighbors.      [For  a  ^=^5  :  8-14). 
limited  period  (seventy  years)  the  Chaldeans  shall  exer- 
cise absolute  sovereignty  over  Palestine.      Then   shall 
come  their  hour  of  retribution,  and  other  world-powers 
shall  absorb  them.] 

Jehovah  also  commanded  me,  by  giving  the  wine-cup  Extent  and 

/-  1  •      r  •  IT/-/-  •  /-I  1      significance 

of  his  fury  m  turn  to  the  different  nations  of  the  earth,  ofNebu- 
symbolically  to  indicate  that  the  conquests  of  Nebuchad-  rule  "^"^^"^  * 
rezzar  are  to  be  universal,  that  they  are  in  accordance  ^^^ '  ^s-38). 
with  God' s  will,  and  that  they  are  intended  to  punish  the 
crimes  of  the  victims.     Rulers,  as  well  as  subjects,  shall 
experience  the  horrors  of  this  world-wide  judgment,  so 
long  delayed  and  so  terrible  in  its  realization. 

V 

the  first  and  second  collections  of 
Jeremiah's  prophecies 

1.    Origin  and  Fate  of  the  First  Edition  (36  :  1-26  ;  45) 

In  the  memorable  year  604  B.  C,  Jeremiah  was  com- The  work  of 
manded  by  God  to  write  down  on  a  roll  of  parchment  all  (36  : 1-4). 
the  prophecies  against  Israel  and  Judah  and  the  foreign 
245 


Jeremiah  36  :  2  Messages  of  the 

nations  which  he  had  delivered  hitherto.    The  aim  in  so 
doing  was  that  he  might  continue  to  teach,  although  it 
was  no  longer  permitted  or  safe  for  him  to  preach  in 
public  ;  and  that  perchance  the  people,  in  the  face  of 
the  danger  which  threatened  from  the  east,  might  yet  be 
affected  by  the  warnings  which  his  sermons  contained, 
and  so  seek  that  forgiveness  which  Jehovah  was  eager  to 
grant,  when  once  they  repented.     Accordingly,  Jeremiah 
summoned  his  faithful  scribe,  Baruch,  who  wrote  as  the 
prophet  dictated. 
Public  read-      When  the  work  was  complete,  Jeremiah,  who  could 
p°r?phecies    not  go  himself,  commanded  Baruch,  in  the  hope  of  in- 
(36  : 5-  )•      fluencing  the  people,  to  read  the  roll  in  their  presence 
as  on  a  fast-day  they  were  gathered  from  all  parts  of 
Judah  at  the  temple. 
Baruch's  Baruch  did  as  directed,  but  he,  like  his  master  in  the 

ment  beginning  of  his  ministry,  was  overwhelmed  with  deep 

(45 . 1-5;-  despondency,  and  complained  that  his  life  was  bereft  of 
all  joy  and  peace,  and  that  only  sorrow  and  pain  were  his 
lot.  To  this  wail  Jeremiah  replied  in  the  name  of  Jeho- 
vah :  "True,  your  lot  is  a  sad  one,  but  it  is  a  time  of 
universal  judgment.  Being  a  citizen  of  this  guilty  land, 
you  must  expect  to  suffer.  Do  not  hope  for  prosperity, 
and  you  will  not  be  disappointed.  Jehovah,  however, 
promises  that,  in  the  midst  of  all  perils  to  which  you 
will  be  exposed,  your  life  shall  be  preserved." 
246 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  36  :  23 

In  the  spring  of  the  following  year,  when  the  people  The  second 
of  Judah  were  gathered  together  at  the  temple  again  to  ing  of 
observe  a  solemn  fast,  that  they  might  secure  Jehovah' s  prophecies 
favor  in  the  time  of  danger  which  followed  the  victory  ^^  "  ^'  ^°^" 
of  Nebuchadrezzar  at  Carchemish,  Baruch  read  from  the 
collection  of  Jeremiah' s  prophecies. 

A  certain  noble,   Micaiah,  the  grandson  of  Josiah' s  Readme 

°  •'  before  the 

famous  chancellor,  Shaphan,  and  the  nephew  of  nobles  and 
Ahikam,  who  earlier  befriended  Jeremiah  when  he  was  (3^6  Tn-ie). 
attacked  by  a  mob  (26  :  24),  was  impressed  by  the  read- 
ing. Possibly  feeling  added  responsibility  because  the 
reading  took  place  in  his  room,  he  reported  it  at  once  to 
the  other  nobles  who  were  assembled  in  the  hall  of  the 
chancellor  at  the  palace.  They  then  summoned  Baruch, 
and  commanded  him  to  read  the  roll  again.  The  con- 
tents seemed  so  important  that  they  decided  to  lay  them 
before  the  king.  When  they  were  assured  that  there 
was  no  fraud,  but  that  Baruch  had  written  as  Jeremiah 
had  uttered  the  prophecies,  they  advised  him  and  his 
master  to  conceal  themselves  where  no  one  could  find 
them.  Then,  leaving  the  roll  in  the  room  where  they 
had  heard  it  read,  they  reported  its  purport  to  Jehoiakim. 
He  thereupon  ordered  it  to  be  brought ;  and  it  was  read 
in  his  presence.  As  fast  as  it  was  read,  however,  he 
showed  his  contempt  by  cutting  off  the  different  sections 
of  the  roll  with  his  knife,  and  by  casting  them  into  the 
247 


Jeremiah  36  :  23  Messages  of  the 

fire  which  burned  on  a  brazier  near  by.  Fear  of  the 
king  restrained  his  nobles  from  expressing  any  horror  at 
his  impiety.  Three  of  them,  however,  endeavored  to 
dissuade  him  from  destroying  the  roll,  but  in  vain.  He 
gave  orders  to  seize  Jeremiah  and  Baruch,  but  they  were 
in  concealment,  so  that  his  efforts  to  apprehend  them 
were  unsuccessful. 

2.    The  Secojid  and  Larger  Edition  (36  :  27-32) 
Prophecy         Again  the  divine  command  came  to  Jeremiah  to  re- 
jehoiakim    place  the  roll  of  his  prophecies,  which  had  been  burned 

(36 :  27-31).  .  , 

by  the  king,  and  to  add  this  new  prophecy  concerning 

Jehoiakim  :   "Since  he  has  defied  Jehovah  in  showing 

his  contempt  for  the  message  of  his  prophet,  he  shall 

have  no  descendants  to  occupy  the  throne  of  Judah, 

while  his  corpse  shall  be  denied  an  honorable  burial. 

Upon  him  and  upon  his  people  will  come  all  the  woes 

which  have  been  predicted." 

The  work  of      Comforted  by  the  assurance  of  Jehovah's  unfailing: 

re-editing  ^  j  t> 

(36 :  32).  support,  Jeremiah,  with  Baruch,  his  scribe,  prepared  a 
new  edition  of  his  prophecies,  much  fuller  than  the  one 
which  Jehoiakim  destroyed. 


248 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  14  :  lo 

VI 

REITERATED     MESSAGES     OF     WARNING     AND 
EXHORTATION 
I.   Dialogue  between  the  Prophet  and  Jehovah  (14  ;  15) 
The  people  of  Judah  break  forth  into  universal  lamen-  A  drought 

_,.   .,  -  ....  ,.  _,      the  occasion 

tation.  Wails  of  anguish  rise  from  every  lip.  The  of  the 
nobles,  as  well  as  the  poor,  suffer  from  thirst,  for  all  the  ([^^  2"^. 
customary  supplies  of  water  are  exhausted.  So  parched 
is  the  ground  that  the  work  of  the  husbandman  is  fruit- 
less. The  beasts  of  the  field,  overcome  by  hunger  and 
consuming  thirst,  forget  their  natural  instincts.  All 
nature  seems  to  gasp  for  breath. 

This  calamity  is  deserved,  O  Lord.     We  cannot  urge  Prophet's 
our  deserts,  but  can  only  appeal  to  thy  merciful  char- mScy^ and 
acter,  as  we  cry  to  thee  for  deliverance.     Many  are  our  (1417-9°" 
sins  against  thee,  and  thou  alone  art  our  Saviour  in  a 
time  of  distress  like  the  present.     Why  art  thou  silent, 
O  Jehovah,  as  one  who  is  indifferent  or  powerless,  while 
we  are  thus  grievously  affected  ?     We  know  that  thou  art 
ever  present.     Sinful  though  we  are,  we  are  thy  people. 
Save  us,  gracious  Lord,  for  grim  death  stares  us  in  the 
face,  if  thou  avert  not  this  terrible  drought. 

Then  answered  the  just  Ruler  of  the  universe  :   •' Too  Jehovah's 
long  and  too  persistently  have  this  people  followed  their  (14  :  10-12). 
own  rebellious,  base  inclinations,  to  be  lightly  exculpated 
249 


Jeremiah  14:11  Messages  of  the 

from  the  effects  of  their  crimes.     Crave  not  pardon  for 

them.     Their  fasting  and  offerings  will  not  win  my  favor, 

for  their  deeds  call  for  judgment.     War,   famine,  and 

pestilence  shall  execute  it." 

Prophet's  Thy  words,  alas!   are  true,  O  Lord  ;  but  consider  how 

(14T3.       this  people  have  been  misled  by  the  false  prophets,  who 

have  declared  in  thy  name  that  war  and  plagues  would 

not,  could  not  come,  thus,  by  vain  promises  of  peace, 

luring  the  ignorant  masses  on  to  their  destruction. 

Jehovah's         Again  Came  Jehovah' s  response  :   "Without  commis- 

^'^P^ophets    sion  from  me  have  the  false  prophets  spoken.      Deceptive 

mustJuffir"  is  their  message.     By  the  sword  and  by  famine,  which 

(14  :  14-17)-  they  declare  will  never  come,  shall  these  traitors  to  God 

and  the  community  die  ;  unburied  shall  their  bodies  lie 

beside  those  of  their  wives  and  children,  the  victims  of 

their  protector' s  perfidy.     Well,  O  true  prophet,  do  you 

weep  day  and  night  over  the  irremediable  corruption 

which  is  destroying  your  nation." 

Prophet's  In  imagination  I  behold  the  carnage  of  war  and  the 

pe^Ui^n        victims  of  famine  ;  but  wilt  thou,  merciful  Jehovah,  give 

(14  :  18-22).  ^^  ^^^^  ^^  complete  destruction  ?     In  the  name  of  my 

people,  I  beseech  thee  to  consider  how  cruelly  we  have 

been  deceived  by  our  lying  prophets.      Miserable  sinners 

though  we  are,  in  thy  mercy  reject  us  not.      Although 

we  have  broken  our  part  of  the  covenant  with  thee,  for 

thine  own  honor  among  the  nations  redeem  thy  promises 

250 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  15  :  10 

to  us  thy  people.  Thou  art  the  Creator  and  the  Ruler 
of  the  universe.  All  things  are  possible  with  thee,  and 
to  thee  we  look  for  pardon  and  for  deliverance. 

To  my  earnest  cry  Jehovah  answered:   "  Though  my  Jehovah's 
holiest  prophets  of  old  were  present  to  join  their  peti- "  No  more 
tions  with  yours,  it  would  be  in  vain.     I  cannot  deliver  J^s^i-p, 
this  wicked,  rebellious  people.     Already  their  judgment  ^^"^'^^• 
is   decided.     Death,   war,    famine,   and   captivity  shall 
each  claim  their  victim.     The  scars  left  on  the  character 
of  the  nation  by  the  idolatrous  practices  introduced  by 
Manasseh  are  too  deep  to  be  effaced.     Fruitless  have 
been  the  methods  of  discipline  whereby  I  have  sought  to 
reclaim  my  people.     Their  stalwart  husbands  and  sons 
have  been  mown  down  before  the  foreign  conqueror,  and 
yet  those  who  survive  have  not  profited  by  the  warning. 
Therefore  they  must  all  share  a  like  fate.     Let  them  not 
delude  themselves  with  the  hope  that  the  might  of  the 
irresistible  Chaldeans  can  be  broken.^     I  have  already 
given  my  people  over  into  the  hand  of  their  foes,  whom 
they  will  serve  in  the  land  of  captivity. " 

Alas  that  I  was  ever  born  !  for  it  is  my  fate  con-  Prophet's 
stantly  to  kindle  opposition.  I  have  wronged  no  man,  compraint 
and  yet  I  am  the  object  of  universal  hatred  and  attack.    ^^^ '  ^°'' 

Then  to  my  heart  came  Jehovah' s  message  of  comfort: 

1  Verses  12  to  14  are  here  introduced  immediately  after  verse  9.     If  they 
are  from  Jeremiah,  this  was  probably  their  original  position. 

251 


Jeremiah  15:11 


Messages  of  the 


Jehovah's 
assurance 
(15  :  II). 


Prophet's 
further 
complaint 
(IS  :  15-18). 


Jehovah's 
further 
assurance 
(15  :  19-21) 


"Be  not  discouraged,  for  I  will  uphold  and  vindicate 
you.  The  time  will  soon  come  when  those  who  now 
attack  you  will  eagerly  solicit  your  intercessions." 

O  Lord,  thou  knowest  how  I  am  wronged,  and  how 
doubts  all  but  overcome  me.  Forget  not  thy  servant, 
who  for  thee  has  suffered  unjust  calumnies.  Take 
vengeance  upon  my  persecutors.  Gladly  I  received  thy 
revelations,  and  consecrated  myself  to  thy  service. 
Recognizing  the  solemnity  of  the  commission  which 
thou  gavest  me,  I  have  avoided  all  scenes  of  festivity. 
Thy  message  of  judgment  has  completely  filled  my 
heart  and  dominated  my  life.  Why  hast  thou  not  vin- 
dicated me  ?  After  all  thy  assurances,  wilt  thou  leave  me 
to  be  the  object  of  my  enemies'  derision  ? 

To  my  cry  of  despair  Jehovah  replied  :  "If  you  will 
dismiss  your  doubts  and  overcome  your  human  weakness, 
you  shall  continue  to  be  my  ambassador,  speaking  to  your 
nation  with  full  authority  from  me.  In  time  they  will 
believe  your  words.  Do  not  pervert  the  truth  that  you 
may  thereby  win  popular  favor.  I  will  give  you  strength 
to  endure  all  their  hostile  assaults,  and  I  will  deliver  and 
gloriously  vindicate  you,  if  you  prove  faithful" 


252 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  i6:  ii 

2.    Extracts  from  Prophecies  Afutouncing  Impending 
Judgment  (i6  :  i  to  17  :  13) 

Do  you  sometimes  wonder,  O  Judeans,  why,  contrary  Prophet's 

_  -.  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,      .  -  life  a  con- 

to  our  customs,  I  live  alone,  without  the  consolations  of  stant  sermon 

wife  and  children  ?  It  is  in  accord  with  Jehovah's  will,  ^^  '  ^''^'' 
for  any  children  whom  I  might  beget  would  only  grow 
up  to  experience  the  horrors  of  war,  famine,  and  cap- 
tivity, which  shall  overtake  all  the  inhabitants  of  this 
accursed  land.  That  I  may  still  further  impress  by  my 
daily  life  the  message  which  is  constantly  on  my  lips,  I 
never  share  in  the  universal  custom  of  mourning  with 
the  friends  of  the  dead,  for  it  is  unseemly  that  I,  his 
prophet,  should  manifest  a  pity  for  you,  his  defiant, 
condemned  people,  which  Jehovah  himself  does  not 
feel.  Soon  a  disaster  shall  overtake  you  that  shall  be  so 
overpowering  that,  in  your  dumb  anguish,  no  one  shall 
think  of  lamentation  or  of  consolation.  In  accordance 
with  the  same  divine  prompting,  I  never  indulge  in 
joyful  merry-making,  for  it  ill  befits  Jehovah's  prophet 
to  join  with  you  as  you  dance  on  the  edge  of  a  chasm 
which  will  speedily  engulf  you,  destroying  all  sources  of 
mirth  and  rejoicing. 

Anticipating  your  queries  as  to  why  Jehovah  has  de-  Causes  of 
termined  thus  to  destroy  you,  he  has  commissioned  me  caiamhy 
in  his  name  to  declare  that  it  is  because  of  your  apos-  ^^^  '  ^°"^^^' 
tasy.     Stubbornly  you  have  refused   to   obey  his  law, 
253 


Jeremiah  i6:  ii  Messages  of  the 

while  with  all  your  hearts  you  pay  homage  to  gods  other 
than  the  true  one.     Ample  opportunity  will  be  given 
you  zealously  to  serve  these  heathen  deities  in  the  lands 
of  exile.     Expect,  however,  no  mercy  from  Jehovah. 
Exile  [The  future  is  not  entirely  hopeless,  for,  though  exile 

(16 :  14-18).  is  surely  coming,  he  purposes  ultimately  to  bring  the 
scattered  Israelites  back  to  the  land  of  Canaan,  and,  in 
so  doing,  to  accomplish  a  work  which  will  completely 
eclipse  the  famous  deliverance  from  Egypt] 

Jehovah  will,  for  the  present,  give  up  his  people  as  a 

prey  to  pitiless  foes,  who  will  unsparingly  wreak  upon 

them  the  vengeance  which  they  so  richly  merit      Many 

are  the  perils  and  pains  of  the  present,  yet  thou,  O 

All  nations    Lord,  dost  deliver  me,  for  I  put  my  trust  in  thee.     Even 

ultimately  to  .  ^       .  .  .    .       .       .    . 

recognize      SO,  whcn  their  mistaken  superstitions,  inherited  from  the 
(i6*:T9-2i).  past,  are  dispelled,  heathen  peoples  from  distant  parts 
of  the  earth  shall  turn  unto  thee  with  reverence  and 
faith.     At  last  the  scales  shall  fall  from  their  eyes,  and 
they  shall  realize  the  folly  of  worshiping  as  deities  crea- 
tions of  their  hands.      Then  wilt  thou  reveal  to  them 
thy  omnipotent  power,   and  they  shall  appreciate  thy 
true  character. 
The  penalty     Alas  !  the  crimes  of  the  people  of  Judah  have  left  an 
(17 : 1-4).      indelible  impression  upon  the  national  character.     All 
their  inherited  tendencies   are   toward   idolatry.      The 
Omnipotent  himself  is  powerless  to  turn  them  from  their 
254 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  17:13 

wicked  course.  He  can  only  destroy.  Hence  he  an- 
nounces his  determination  to  deliver  his  beloved  city 
and  people  to  the  ravages  and  violence  of  the  foreign 
conqueror. 

If  you  would  escape  the  impending  calamity,  give  The  one 
heed  to  the  principles  which  regulate  Jehovah's  uni- escape 
verse.  Doomed  to  destruction  is  he  who  looks  to  finite  '  ^ 
man  for  defense,  and  who  ignores  the  power  divine. 
Barren  and  joyless  shall  be  his  life.  But  he  who  puts 
his  confidence  in  God  shall  prosper,  and  be  unaffected 
when  danger  and  disaster  approach.  It  is  indeed  strange 
that  all  do  not  perceive  and  profit  by  these  truths  ;  but 
the  natural  tendencies  of  mankind  are  perverse.  They 
may  deceive  each  other,  but  not  Jehovah,  who  sees 
everything  in  the  human  heart,  and  rewards  accord- 
ingly. How  vain  and  foolish,  therefore,  is  the  conduct 
of  those  who  amass  great  fortunes  by  false  means,  think- 
ing in  their  ignorance  that  they  will  profit  thereby  ! 
Thou,  O  Jehovah,  art  the  true  glory  and  hope  of  thy 
people.  Disgrace  and  oblivion  shall  be  the  fate  of  all 
who  forsake  thee,  the  source  of  life,  peace,  and  joy. 


255 


Jeremiah  i8  :  i  Messages  of  the 


VII 

ILLUSTRATED    SERMONS 
I.   The  Lesson  from  the  Potter  {i?>) 
Jehovah's         Rejected  by  rulers  and  people,  I  was  led,  in  my  time 

influence  in        ^     ,  ,  -  , 

human  of  discouragemcnt,  to  learn  from  the  potter  important 
(il^ri^io).  lessons  concerning  the  providential  rule  of  the  world. 
As  I  watched  him  shaping  the  pliant  clay,  remodeling 
the  imperfect  vessels  until  they  conformed  to  his  ideal, 
Jehovah  revealed  to  me  the  manner  in  which  he  is  able 
to  mold  at  his  will  the  nations.  At  the  same  time  I 
realized  that  man  may  render  God's  work  imperfect. 
The  fulfilment  of  all  predictions,  either  of  good  or  of 
evil,  are  conditioned  upon  the  conduct  of  those  respect- 
ing whom  they  are  made. 
Judah's  Therefore,  O  Judeans,  learn  and  apply  the  practical 

future  hope-  •'  i  ,  -n      i 

less,  simply  lesson.      Jchovah  has  announced  that  he  will   destroy 
will  not        your  nation,  but  the  desolation  is  conditioned  on  your 
(l8°:Ti-i7).  continued  sinning.      Change  those  conditions  by  repent- 
ing,  and,   in  accordance  with  his  eternal  purpose,  you 
will  yet  be  delivered.     Alas  !  you  are  doomed,  because 
you  are  so  set  in  your  evil  ways  that  you  make  no  effort 
to  reform.      Heathendom  offers  no  such  example  of  hor- 
rible apostasy  as  do  his  people.      Contrary  to  all  natural 
analogies,  they  have  abandoned  their  traditions  to  adopt 
256 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  13:5 

gross  superstitions.  Therefore  they  give  Jehovah  no 
opportunity  to  show  his  mercy.  Nothing  remains  but  to 
give  them  over  to  that  judgment  which  they  have  brought 
upon  themselves. 

Instead  of  being  moved  to  repentance,  the  leaders  of  Plots 

.  against  the 

the  people  urged  them  to  pay  no  attention  to  the  un- prophet 
pleasant  truths  presented  by  Jeremiah,  assuring  them 
that  many  other  priests,  wise  men,  and  prophets,  would 
be  left  to  give  them  religious  instruction,  if  this  trouble- 
some prophet  were  put  out  of  the  way.  They  even  took 
measures  to  accomplish  this  end  by  preferring  false 
charges  against  him. 

Aroused  beyond  the  point  of  human  endurance  by  Prophet's 

prayer  for 

their   machmations,    Jeremiah   prayed    in    his    anger :  vengeance 
*'Thou  seest,  Lord,  how  these  men  have  tried  by  base  ^   •  ^9  23)- 
treachery  to  take  my  life.     Thou  knowest  also  how  I 
have  repeatedly  interceded  for  them.      I  do  so  no  more. 
Visit  upon  them  all  the  horrors  of  war.      Show  no  pity." 

2.  Symbolic  Declarations  of  Coining  Ruin  (13  :  1-14) 

At  the  instigation  of  Jehovah,   I  purchased  a   linen  Symbolism 

.  ^  of  the  linen 

girdle,  and  wore  it  for  a  time  about  my  waist,  carefully  girdle 
preserving  it  from  all  contact  with  anything  that  might  ^^'^"^ ' 
soil   it     Then   the   divine   command  came  to  bury  it 
beside  the  river  Euphrates,  and  leave  it  there  for  a  time. 
The  result  can  be  imagined.     When  I  dug  it  up  again, 
257 


Jeremiah  13:7  Messages  of  the 

the  girdle,  which  I  had  cherished  so  carefully,  was 
ruined,  so  that  it  was  worthless. 

Application        jj^jg   jg   ^^  explanation  of  my  strange  proceeding. 

judeans  T\\Q  linen  girdle  represents  the  people  of  Israel  and 
Judah  whom  Jehovah  chose  and  brought  into  a  pecu- 
liarly intimate  relationship  with  himself,  protecting  them 
from  contact  with  whatever  might  defile,  that  they  might 
worthily  represent  and  glorify  him.  But  they  stubbornly 
refused  to  obey  his  commands,  and  paid  their  homage 
to  other  gods.  Therefore,  as  my  girdle  was  ruined  by 
being  buried  beside  the  Euphrates,  so  shall  they  lose  all 
their  strength  and  beauty  as  a  nation  ;  for  Jehovah  has 
determined  to  cast  them  aside,  and  to  allow  them  to 
languish  in  captivity  beside  the  same  great  river. 

Symbolism        Jehovah  further  directed  me  to  utter  in  the  presence 

of  the  filling         •'  ,  ^  .  ,     „ 

of  the  wine-  of  the  people  the  trite  proverb,  "Every  jar  shall  be 
(?":  12-14).  filled  with  wine."  When  they  contemptuously  retorted, 
"Of  course  it  will,"  I  added,  giving  a  deeper  meaning 
to  the  commonplace,  "Jehovah  will  fill  all  the  inhab- 
tants  of  the  land  with  the  wine  of  his  righteous  judg- 
ment, so  that  kings,  priests,  and  prophets  shall  reel  like 
drunken  men.     None  will  he  spare." 

3.    The  Lesson  of  the  Broken  Earthen  Bottle  (19) 

On  another  occasion,  that  I  might  impress  my  message 
upon  unwilling  hearers,  I  was  divinely  impelled  to  provide 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  20  :  3 

myself  with  an  earthen  bottle,  and  to  invite  certain  of  the  The  com- 

plete  ruin  of 

representatives  of  the  people  and  of  the  priests  to  go  down  the  nation 
with  me  into  the  valley  of  Hinnom,  beside  the  gate  of  the 
potsherds,  and  there  to  proclaim  to  them  :  "  O  leaders  of 
Judah,  Jehovah  declares  that  because  of  the  hideous 
heathen  orgies  which  you  and  your  fathers  have  prac- 
ticed here  at  Tophet,  in  this  valley  of  Hinnom,  he  will 
bring  upon  you  a  judgment  far  exceeding  anything  yet 
known  to  human  experience.  This  scene  of  your  crimes 
shall  witness  your  punishment  You  shall  know  the 
extreme  horrors  by  plague  and  siege.  Even  as  I  break 
this  earthen  bottle  into  a  thousand  fragments,  so  will 
Jehovah  shatter  Jerusalem  ;  every  place  where  heathen 
rites  have  been  practiced  shall  become  like  Tophet  here, 
defiled  with  all  loathsome  uncleanness. "  Returning, 
Jeremiah  preached  the  same  sermon  in  the  temple  court 
in  the  presence  of  the  assembled  people. 

4.   Humiliation  and  Despondency  of  the  Prophet  (20) 
When  Pashhur,  the  chief  officer  of  the  temple  guard,  imprison- 
heard  Jeremiah  uttering  these  prophecies,  he  beat  him,  Jeremiah 
and  put  him  into  stocks  in  the  watch-room  of  the  north-      '  ^' 
em  gate  of  the  temple  court,  leaving  him  there  until 
morning. 

The  next  day,  when  released  by  Pashhur,  the  prophet, 
as  did  Amos  at  an  earlier  time  in  similar  circumstances, 
259 


Jeremiah  20  :  3  Messages  of  the 

Sentence       directed  against  the  official  a  prophecy  applicable  also  to 
hur  and  the  the  nation  of  which  he  was  a  prominent  representative  : 

nation  ^,  .  .  ,  ,    ,         _ 

(20  :  3-6).  "The  most  appropriate  name  for  you  would  be  'Terror 
on  every  side,'  for  you  shall  be  encircled  and  overtaken 
by  terrible  perils.  You  shall  see  your  friends  die  by  the 
swords  of  the  Chaldeans.  Those  of  your  nation  who 
survive,  together  with  the  treasures  of  the  city,  shall  be 
carried  off  as  spoil  to  Babylon.  You,  who  by  your  false 
predictions  have  misled  the  people,  shall  be  among  that 
unhappy  band  of  captives  who  shall  die  and  be  buried 
in  the  land  of  your  enforced  exile." 
^laint  ofTh  Thou,  O  Jehovah,  who  art  irresistible,  didst  persuade 
prophet  me  to  assume  the  duties  of  a  prophet,  in  the  fulfilling  of 
which  I  am  being  subjected  to  ridicule  and  indignities. 
I  have  but  one  message,  and  that  is,  "Judgment  and 
destruction  are  coming."  No  wonder  that  the  people 
dislike  the  message  and  the  messenger.  And  yet  if  I 
resolve  to  say  nothing  I  am  still  more  unhappy,  for, 
whenever  I  behold  their  needs  and  mistakes,  it  is  painful 
to  refrain  from  declaring  the  truth  which  thou  hast  re- 
vealed to  me  concerning  this  erring  people.  Foes  attack  ; 
perils  thicken  ;  trusted  friends  fail,  and  seek  to  betray 
me ;  yet.  while  I  am  often  disheartened,  I  am  never 
afraid,  for  thou,  the  Almighty,  art  defending  me.  My 
persecutors,  I  know,  will  ultimately  be  overtaken  by 
disgrace  and  calamity  ;  but  I  sometimes  long,  O  thou 
260 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  35 :  13 

Vindicator  of  the  righteous,  to  see  that  judgment  speedily- 
executed.  As  I  think  of  my  unhappy  lot,  I  also  often 
wish  that  I  had  never  been  born  to  such  a  life  of  sorrow, 
and  I  curse  the  day  of  my  birth. 

5.    The  Lesson  Drawn  from  the    Fidelity  of  the 
Rechabites  (35) 

During  the  latter  days  of  Jehoiakim'  s  reign,  when  the  An  example 
Aramean  hordes  set  loose  by  Nebuchadrezzar  had  driven  (35 :  i-n). 
the  wandering  Rechabites  from  their  haunts  east  of  the 
Jordan  to  seek  refuge  within  Jerusalem,  I  was  impelled 
to  conduct  them  into  one  of  the  rooms  connected  with 
the  temple,  and  publicly  to  offer  them  wine  to  drink. 
As  I  had  anticipated,  they  absolutely  refused  to  partake, 
saying  :  "As  a  tribe  we  drink  no  wine,  for  so  our  hon- 
ored ancestor  Jonadab  commanded  us.  Inspired  by  an 
intense  antipathy  for  the  corrupt  and  idolatrous  agricul- 
tural civilization  which  flourished  in  Canaan,  he  further 
enjoined  upon  us  not  to  build  houses,  nor  till  the  soil, 
nor  cultivate  the  vine,  but  to  cherish  the  simple  nomadic 
life  and  customs,  that  we  might  thus  enjoy  the  blessing 
of  long  life.  Those  injunctions  we  have  faithfully 
heeded,  and  we  are  now  here  in  the  city  simply  that  we 
may  escape  the  horrors  of  war." 

Will  you  not,  O  Judeans,  heed  and  profit  by  the  exam- 
ple of  the  Rechabites  ?     In  accordance  with  the  command 
261 


Jeremiah  35  :  14-19 
judah  of  their  forefather,  Tonadab,  they  regulate  their  entire 

stands  in  ,  . 

unfavorable  life,  Conforming  in  every  detail  to  the  instructions  laid 
(35 :  12-19).  down  by  him.  You,  however,  have  been  instructed 
plainly  and  repeatedly  respecting  the  commands  of  your 
God,  and  yet  you  have  persistently  disobeyed  his  will 
and  paid  homage  to  other  deities.  Will  you  not  abandon 
your  course  of  crime  and  apostasy,  and,  as  penitents, 
return  to  him  ?  But  no  ;  your  faces  and  your  acts  do 
not  reveal  the  least  contrition.  You  give  Jehovah  no 
opportunity  to  avert  the  painful  sentence  which  he  has 
pronounced  against  you.  When  he  longs  to  send  bless- 
ings, your  deeds  and  attitude  compel  him  to  destroy  you. 
Since  these  barbarian  Rechabites  have  obeyed  the  com- 
mands of  their  ancestor,  their  tribe  shall  continue  to 
flourish  long  after  your  disobedient  nation  has  gone 
down  to  ruin. 


262 


JEREMIAH'S   ACTIVITY   DURING  THE 
REIGN   OF   ZEDEKIAH 


JEREMIAH'S  ACTIVITY  DURING  THE 
REIGN  OF  ZEDEKIAH 


THE   DOWNFALL   OF   JUDAH    AND   THE   CLOSING 
YEARS    OF   JEREMIAH 

Jehoiakim  only  lived  to  see  the  beginning  of  the 
calamities  which  resulted  from  his  folly  and  selfish  in- 
difference. He  died  in  597,  during  the  first  siege  of  his 
capital  by  the  Babylonians,  leaving  to  his  queen  and 
young  son  Coniah,  or  Jeconiah,  who  assumed  the  name 
of  Jehoiakin,  a  baneful  heritage  of  war.  Possibly  the 
dirge  preserved  in  22  :  24-30  was  uttered  by  Jeremiah  in 
connection  with  the  accession  of  the  boy  king.  "Jeho- 
vah declares  that,  even  though  Coniah  was  his  most 
cherished  and  valuable  possession,  he  would  deliver  him 
into  the  power  of  the  Babylonians.  Both  the  king  and 
the  queen  mother  are  condemned  to  die  in  exile. 
Worthless,  as  a  ruler,  is  the  son  of  Jehoiakim.  Neither 
he  nor  his  descendants  shall  sit  again  on  the  throne  of 
Judah." 

Three  brief  months,  while  Jerusalem  held  out  against 
its  besiegers,  Jehoiakin  reigned.  Then  he  was  dragged 
265 


Jeremiah  Messages  of  the 

to  Babylon  at  the  head  of  the  prominent  Jews,  who  con- 
stituted the  first  group  of  captives.  Henceforth  Jere- 
miah' s  interest  was  divided  between  his  countrymen  in 
Babylon  and  those  remaining  in  Judah.  Among  the 
former  were  most  of  his  friends  and  the  best  elements  in 
the  nation.  Those  who  remained  and  directed  the 
counsels  of  Zedekiah,  the  well-meaning  but  inefficient 
son  of  Josiah,  whom  the  Babylonians  appointed  as  a 
vassal  king  over  the  kingdom  of  his  father,  were  as  self- 
confident  as  they  were  ignorant  of  the  art  of  statesman- 
ship. In  their  sordid  natures  there  was  little  respect  for 
the  messages  of  the  true  prophet.  Besides,  the  circum- 
stances of  the  period  called  forth  a  group  of  designing 
men,  who  counterfeited  the  formulas  and  style  of  the 
true  prophets  so  perfectly  that  the  unsuspecting  masses 
were  constantly  misled  by  messages  which  purported  to 
be  divine.  Whether  these  so-called  * '  false ' '  prophets 
were  in  every  case  pure  impostors,  or  honest  and  merely 
self-deceived,  cannot  be  determined.  Their  communi- 
cations voiced  so  completely  the  hopes  of  the  people 
that  it  is  obvious  why  the  masses  accepted  them,  while 
they  rejected  the  stern,  unwelcome  warnings  of  men 
like  Jeremiah. 

Hence  the  environment  of  the  aged  prophet  was  then 
even  more  unpleasant  than  during  the  reign  of  Jehoia- 
kim.     Zedekiah,  it  is  true,  retained  a  genuine  respect 
266 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah 

for  him,  but  the  character  of  the  king  was  so  weak  and 
his  power  so  slight  that  his  secret  regard  bore  little  fruit. 
On  the  other  hand,  Jeremiah' s  influence  with  the  Jews 
who  remained  in  Judah  was  diminished  ;  he  himself 
became  the  object  of  open  and  persistent  persecutions. 
At  first  he  succeeded  in  keeping  the  people  from  again 
rushing  into  foolish  rebellion  against  Babylon.  The 
empty  promises,  however,  of  Babylon's  rival,  Egypt, 
and  the  deceptive  messages  of  the  false  prophets,  at  last, 
in  587  B.  C,  led  the  nation  to  take  the  fatal  step. 

Jeremiah,  whose  inspired  insight  enabled  him  to  ap- 
preciate the  absolute  impossibility  of  Judah' s  coping 
successfully  with  the  powerful  armies  of  the  great  con- 
queror, Nebuchadrezzar,  had  but  one  message  for  king 
and  people.  "If  you  would  save  yourselves  and 
nation,  surrender  at  once."  Naturally,  he  did  not 
change  this  advice  when  Babylonian  armies  encircled 
Jerusalem  and  overran  Judah.  That  he  would  thereby 
incur  the  charge  of  being  without  patriotism  was  in- 
evitable. Tragic  indeed  is  the  picture  of  the  aged 
prophet,  branded  as  a  traitor  and  subjected  to  shameful 
indignities  at  the  hands  of  the  nobles,  simply  because 
his  loyalty  to  God  and  to  his  nation  would  not  allow  him 
to  be  silent.  Through  it  all  he  wavered  not,  although  it 
was  a  thankless  return  for  his  life  of  complete  self-sacri- 
fice. As  the  end  of  the  state  which  he  loved  so  in- 
267 


Jeremiah  Messages  of  the 

tensely  drew  near,  an  inspired  hope  concerning  its 
future  filled  his  soul,  and  found  ever  clearer  and  more 
frequent  expression.  If  no  prophet  suffered  more  than 
he,  certainly  none  saw  farther  into  the  very  heart  of  the 
Eternal  and  recognized  the  character  and  loving  purpose 
revealed  there.  Sitting  among  the  ruins  of  Jerusalem, 
he  proclaimed  the  new  and  universal  kingdom  of  God 
which  was  to  be  established  in  the  heart  of  the  indi- 
vidual. Like  all  true  prophets,  he  uttered  his  brightest 
predictions  in  the  time  of  greatest  national  distress. 
Amidst  the  closing  scenes  he  moved  with  the  same 
simple  grandeur.  When  the  end  came,  and  the  king  of 
Judah  and  his  guilty  advisers  were  carried  off  to  Baby- 
lon, Jeremiah,  who  had  constantly  preached  loyalty  to 
Nebuchadrezzar,  was  allowed  to  remain  behind  with  the 
few  Jews  who  rallied  at  Mizpah  about  his  friend,  the 
faithful  Gedaliah.  For  a  brief  time  the  little  colony 
basked  in  the  sunshine  of  a  just  rule.  Jeremiah  was  the 
accepted  pastor  of  the  flock.  Fugitives  came  streaming 
back,  and  prosperity  promised  again  to  abide  with  them, 
when  suddenly  all  their  peace  was  destroyed  by  the 
treacherous  murder  of  Gedaliah  and  his  supporters  by 
the  hand  of  certain  renegade  Jews.  Despite  the  advice 
and  exhortations  of  Jeremiah,  the  survivors  of  the  mas- 
sacre, fearing  the  wrath  of  the  Babylonians,  fled  to 
Egypt  Thus  it  was  that  the  closing  days  of  the 
268 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah 

prophet  were  spent  among  the  refugees  in  Egypt.  At 
the  Jewish  colony  in  Tahpanhes,  on  the  borders  of  Pales- 
tine, he  made  his  home. 

Among  his  countrymen  in  the  land  of  the  Nile  he 
found  a  needy,  although  very  unpromising,  field  for  his 
prophetic  activity.  Repeated  national  disasters  had 
sadly  shaken  their  faith  in  the  God  of  Israel,  while  the 
polytheistic  tendencies  amidst  which  they  now  found 
themselves  proved  wellnigh  irresistible.  As  a  result, 
the  masses  went  back  to  the  worship  of  the  ancient 
deities  identified  with  the  sun,  and  especially  the  moon, 
—  "the  queen  of  heaven."  With  all  his  early  energy 
and  courage,  Jeremiah  attacked  the  widespread  apos- 
tasy. To  impress  upon  the  doubting  Jews  the  fact  that 
the  national  calamity  which  had  overtaken  them  was  in 
perfect  accord  with  Jehovah's  eternal  purpose,  he  pre- 
dicted that  the  Egyptians  also  would  soon  fall  before 
God's  messenger  of  judgment,  Nebuchadrezzar. 

Fearlessly  he  declared  to  those  who  had  turned  from 
Jehovah  to  the  old  heathen  deities  that  they  would  be 
destroyed,  and  that  only  those  who  were  faithful  to  their 
nation' s  God  would  again  see  the  land  of  their  nativity. 
A  bitter  defiance  is  reflected  in  their  answer  to  the 
prophet,  which  suggests  that  the  tradition  that  he  met  a 
martyr' s  death  at  their  hands  is  not  without  foundation. 
Surely,  having  given  to  his  nation  and  God  his  life  work, 
269 


Jeremiah  Messages  of  the 

and  all  that  the  world  counts  dear,  it  was  in  a  sense 
a  fitting  sequence  that  he  should  pour  out  his  life's 
blood  upon  the  same  altar. 

The  conditions  of  his  age  were  such  that  he  lived 
almost  constantly  under  the  shadow  of  his  nation's  sins, 
and  the  calamities  which  followed  in  their  train.  At  the 
same  time  he  was  a  man  "tempted  in  all  points  as  we 
are."  Through  all  his  varied  experiences  his  humanity- 
found  frequent  expression.  That  element,  so  conspicu- 
ous in  his  character,  only  deepens  our  admiration  and 
love  for  him.  But  his  humanity  never  turned  him  from 
the  path  of  duty.  With  that  calm  courage  which  comes 
not  from  earth,  but  from  heaven,  he  heroically  accepted 
every  responsibility,  however  great.  Little  wonder  that 
the  Almighty  confided  to  him  the  deepest  spiritual 
truths  vouchsafed  to  any  man  before  the  advent  of  the 
Son  of  man.  By  life  as  well  as  by  word  of  mouth  he 
proclaimed  them.  Oppressed,  despised  by  his  own,  he 
"saw  seed"  in  the  generations  which  followed.  Cer- 
tainly no  other  prophet  made  such  a  deep  impression 
upon  later  Judaism  as  did  Jeremiah.  He  is  one  of  the 
two  or  three  inspired  men  who,  perfected  by  suffering  and 
by  faithful  service,  stood  on  the  threshold  of  the  com- 
pleted New  Testament  revelation. 


270 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  13  :  15-21 

II 

SERMONS   CONNECTED   WITH   THE   FIRST  CAPTIVITY 

I.  Exhortations  to  Repent  before  it  is  forever  too  Late. 
(13  :  15-27) 

Give  heed,  O  Judeans,  and  humble  yourselves  before  Seek  jeho- 
the   Lord.      Pay  homage  to  him,   and  secure  his  favor  this  tim^e^f" 
before  he  causes  this  black  storm-cloud,  which  lowers  i^lT^l•^^). 
over  you,  to  break  in  all  its  fury.      But  no  ;  I  can  per- 
ceive from  your  actions  that  even  now  you  will  not  bow 
your  proud  heads.     Nothing  remains  for  me  to  do  but  to 
mourn   over  the  disaster,  and   the   complete   captivity 
toward  which  you,   the  chosen  people  of  Jehovah,  are 
hurrying. 

Let  the  queen  regent  and  the  youthful  king,  Jehoiakin,  Tudah's 

,  ,   f.  .  .,  -,  .-,,.        humiliation 

descend  from  the  tottermg  throne,  for  the  crown  is  fallmg  (13  :  18-21). 
from  their  heads.  Already  the  cities  of  Southern  Judah 
are  besieged  by  the  foe,  and  there  is  no  one  to  restore 
them.  Already  a  large  portion  of  the  population  is 
being  carried  away  captive,  and  the  rest  will  soon  be 
compelled  to  follow.  Behold,  the  long-heralded  northern 
foe  draws  near  to  Jerusalem.  Where  are  the  powerful 
people  entrusted  to  your  care,  O  sacred  city  ?  What  will 
you  think  of  your  boasted  alliances  with  heathen  nations 
when  you  are  subjected  to  their  harsh  rule?  Unutterable 
271 


Jeremiah  13:21  Messages  of  the 

woes  shall  soon  overtake  you.      If  you  seek  the  cause  of 
your  disgraceful  humiliation,  you  will  find  it  in  the  black 
record  of  guilt  with  which  your  past  is  darkened. 
Nothing  but      But  it  is  useless  to  attempt  to  turn  you,  O  Judeans,  from 

just  retribu-  .     .  ,    , 

tion  your  evil  course,  for  your  smful  habits  have  crystallized 

13  •  23  27 .  jj^^^  character.  It  were  easier  for  the  negro  to  become 
white,  or  for  a  leopard  to  lose  his  spots.  Hence,  since  you 
are  incapable  of  repenting,  eager  to  pardon  and  save  you 
though  he  is,  Jehovah  can  only  punish  your  neglect  and 
treachery  toward  him  by  laying  bare  before  the  world  all 
your  guilt  and  infidelity,  and  by  scattering  you  as  exiles 
among  the  nations. 

2.  A  Dirge  over  Fallen  Judah  (12  :  7-13) 

The  rejected      Jehovah  has  handed  over  this  nation,  which  he  loves 
nation  ^'^  ^   SO  deeply,  and  for  which  he  has  done  so  much,  to  be 
(i«;7-i3).     spoiled  by  cruel  enemies.     The  continued  defiance  of 
his  people  has  at  last  exhausted  even  the  patience  of  the 
Infinite.      Now  foreign  foes  shall  complete  the  devasta- 
tion begun  by  the  selfish,  traitorous  rulers  of  Judah,  who 
have  preyed  upon  rather  than  protected  their  charge. 
Already  plundering  foes,  unconsciously  carrying  out  the 
divine  purpose,    have  laid  waste   the  whole  land,    and 
granted  no  peace  nor  mercy  to  its  inhabitants.      In  vain 
do  you  sow  your  grain,  O  Judeans,  expecting  to  reap  the 
272 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  24  :  3 

harvest  ;  for  the  hand,  not  only  of  man,  but  of  God  him- 
self, is  against  you. 

3.    Threats  and  Promises  to  the  Heathen  (12  :  14-17) 

To  those  heathen  foes,  who  are  attacking  his  people,  Fate  of  the 
Jehovah  declares  that  he  will  cause  them  also  to  taste  the  conditioned 
horrors  of  exile.    At  length,  however,  he  will  be  moved  by  " Jnduct^"^ 
that  deep  love  and  pity  which  he  feels  toward  all  man-  ^^ '  ^'^"^7)- 
kind,  and  will  restore  them  each  to  his  native  land.     If 
they  will  seek  to  act  in  accordance  with  his  will  as  re- 
vealed to  his  chosen  people,  and  will  manifest  as  much 
zeal  in  worshipping  and  serving  him  as  they  did  in  in- 
fluencing the  Hebrews  to  acknowledge  fealty  to  Baal, 
then  shall  they  share  with  his  restored  people  in  the 
permanent  enjoyment  of  his  blessings.     If  they  do  not 
heed  his  gracious  offer,  then  complete  national  annihi- 
lation shall  be  their  fate. 

4.    Character  and  Future  of  the  Jews  hi  Judah 
arid  in  Babylon  (24) 

After  the  armies  of  Nebuchadrezzar  had  swept  over  The  two 

Till,.  ,.  1  ..  ..       baskets  of 

Judah,   levelmg  everythmg  and  carrymg  mto  captivity  figs  (24 : 1-3) 
the  youthful  Jehoiakin,  the   nobles  and  the  artisans,  I 
beheld  in  a  vision  two  baskets  of  figs.     The  one  basket 
contained  fresh,  ripe,  luscious  figs  ;  the  other,  worthless 
figs,  unfit  to  be  eaten. 

273 


Jeremiah  24 :  4 


Messages  of  the 


Interpreta- 
tion of  the 
vision 
(24  :  4-10), 


Superscrip- 
tion 
(29:1-3)- 


Settle  down 
for  pro- 
tracted resi- 
dence in 
Babylon 
(29  :  4-9). 


With  the  vision  came  this  message  from  Jehovah  : 
' '  The  basket  of  good  figs  represents  the  Jewish  captives, 
whom  I  have  sent  to  Babylon,  that  they,  by  hard  expe- 
rience, may  learn  valuable  lessons.  I  will  watch  over 
them.  Out  of  their  present  affliction  shall  come  great 
good,  for  I  purpose  to  restore  them  to  this  land,  never- 
more to  be  disturbed.  At  last,  in  sincerity,  they  shall 
turn  to  me  as  their  God,  and  I  will  again  recognize  them 
as  my  chosen  people.  The  hopelessly  bad  figs  represent 
the  princes  and  the  people,  who  are  left  in  Judah  with 
Zedekiah,  and  those  who  have  found  refuge  in  Egypt. 
Like  worthless  flotsam  and  jetsam  they  shall  be  cast  about 
upon  the  face  of  the  earth,  objects  of  scorn  and  reproach 
to  its  inhabitants.  They  shall  be  the  victims  of  war, 
want,  and  pestilence,  until  these  dread  agents  of  destruc- 
tion have  completed  their  fatal  work. 

5.  A  Letter  to  the  Jewish  Exiles  in  Babylon  (29) 

This  is  the  text  of  a  letter  from  Jeremiah  to  the  elders, 
priests,  prophets,  and  people,  held  captive  in  Babylon, 
which  was  delivered  by  the  hands  of  a  messenger  sent 
by  Zedekiah  to  the  Babylonian  king  : 

"It  is  Jehovah's  will,  O  Jewish  captives  in  Babylon, 

that  you  make  permanent  homes  for  yourselves  in  the 

land  of  your  enforced  sojourn.     Cultivate  the  soil,  build 

up  your  families  and  increase.     Be  loyal  to  the  cities  of 

274 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  29  :  23 

your  adoption,  for  your  prosperity  is  bound  up  with 
theirs.  Be  not  deceived  by  your  false  prophets,  when 
they  declare  in  the  name  of  Jehovah  that  you  will 
speedily  be  allowed  to  return  ;  for  their  words  are  a 
delusion. 

For  two  generations  (seventy  years)  the  Babylonians  Promise  of 
shall  hold  you  in  captivity.      Then  shall  Jehovah  lead  rTtum""^'^ 
you  back  to  your  native  land,  and  realize  both  his  loving  ^^^  =  ^o-m)- 
purpose  toward  you    and    the   fond   hopes   which    you 
cherish.     Above  all,  you  shall  then  seek  him  contritely 
and  faithfully,  and  he  will  not  be  found  slow  to  respond. 

Far  preferable  will  be  your  lot  to  that  of  Zedekiah  and  Fate  of  those 
the    worthless  crew   who  are    left    behind    in   Judah.  i^  ju^dSi^^" 
Calamity  after  calamity  shall  overtake  them,  and  they  ^^^  *  ^^'^9)- 
shall  be  the  object  of  the  scorn  and  attacks  of  the  people 
among  whom  they  will  be  scattered,  for  they   turn  a 
deaf  ear  to  the  earnest  warnings  of  Jehovah' s  faithful 
messengers. 

Put  no  confidence  in  your  lying  prophets.     Hear  the  judgment 
divine   sentence   which   will   speedily   be    carried    out  ^venake\°he 
against  Ahab,  the  son  of  Kolaiah,  and  Zedekiah,  the  son  p^rophets  in 
of  Maaseiah.     The  treason  which  they  preach  shall  be  /^^H^'j°° 
reported  to  Nebuchadrezzar,  and  you  shall  be  witnesses  20-23). 
of  their  execution.     Their  crimes  of  deceit  and  adultery, 
and  the  judgment  which  overtook  them,  shall  become  a 
proverb  among  you. 

275 


Jeremiah  29  :  24 


Messages  of  the 


Shemaiah  the  Nehelamite  has  written  to  the  priest 
Zephaniah  here  in  Jerusalem,  declaring  that  the  Lord 
has  called  him  to  the  chief  priesthood  instead  of 
Jehoiada,  the  present  incumbent,  and  intimating  that 
his  first  duty  will  be  forcibly  to  silence  the  "mad 
prophets ' '  who  seek  to  dissuade  the  people  from  their 
hope  of  speedy  deliverance  from  Babylon.  Why  did 
he  not  personally  attack  me,  for  I  have  urged  you  to 
settle  in  Babylon  with  a  view  to  a  continued  residence 
there?  This  is  Jehovah's  declaration  respecting  that 
base,  intriguing  prophet :  "He has  no  commission  from 
me,  and  he  is  seeking  to  mislead  you  with  his  lying 
words.  He  is  a  traitor  against  me,  and  as  a  penalty 
neither  he  nor  any  of  his  descendants  shall  survive  to 
enjoy  the  blessings  which  I  have  in  store  for  my  people." 


Ill 


Let  the 
nations 
submit  to 
Nebuchad- 
rezzar 
(27:1-11). 


DISPELLING  FALSE  HOPES  OF  SPEEDY  DELIVERANCE 

FROM  Babylon's  rule 

I.  The  Folly  of  Rebellion  (27  :  1-22) 
Early  during  the  reign  of  Zedekiah,  in  the  year 
595  B.C.,  when  the  states  of  Palestine  were  sending 
embassies  to  each  other  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a 
coalition  against  Nebuchadrezzar,  Jeremiah  was  inspired 
to  make  five  yokes,  and  to  give  one  to  each  of  the  foreign 
276 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  27:  22 

messengers  who  came  plotting  rebellion.  These  they 
were  to  present  to  their  masters  the  kings  of  Edom, 
Moab,  Ammon,  Tyre,  and  Sidon,  with  the  following 
message  from  Jehovah  :  "I  am  the  creator  and  supreme 
ruler  of  the  earth.  I  give  authority  to  w^hom  I  please. 
Nebuchadrezzar,  the  Babylonian  king,  is  performing  a 
service  for  me.  To  him  and  his  family  I  have  granted 
for  a  period  supreme  control  over  the  people  in  this  part 
of  the  earth.  The  nation  which  does  not  submit  to  his 
rule  shall  experience  the  miseries  of  war,  famine,  and 
pestilence.  Therefore  heed  not  the  deceptive  messages 
of  your  perverse  religious  leaders,  for,  if  you  listen  to 
their  encouragements  to  revolt  against  Babylon,  they 
will  betray  you.  Rebellion  means  certain  exile.  Con- 
tinue to  submit  to  Nebuchadrezzar,  and  you  will  be 
allowed  undisturbed  to  enjoy  your  lands." 

Jeremiah  gave  the  same  warning  to  Zedekiah  and  the  Let  not 

Judah  be 

people  of  Judah:  "Remain  loyal  to  Babylon.  It  is  beguiled  into 
suicide  to  rebel.  Those  prophets  who  encourage  you  to  (27^:  12-22). 
do  so  are  deceivers,  and  speak  without  any  commission 
from  Jehovah.  Their  prediction  that  the  vessels  of  the 
temple,  which  have  been  carried  to  Babylon,  will  soon 
be  brought  back  is  an  idle  dream.  Even  the  few  paltry 
ones  which  were  left  behind  will  before  long  be  borne 
off  to  Babylon,  where  they  shall  remain  until  Jehovah 
sees  fit  to  restore  them." 

277 


Jeremiah  28:1  Messages  of  the 

2.    Contest  between  Jeremiah  and  Hananiah  (28) 

Later,  in  the  same  critical  year,  Hananiah,  a  certain 
prophet  from  the  town  of  Gibeon,  publicly  in  the  temple 
contradicted  Jeremiah,  declaring  in  the  name  of  Jehovah 
of  hosts,  and  using  the  characteristic  formulas  of  the 
true  prophets,  that  within  two  years  Jehovah  would 
bring  back  the  vessels  of  the  temple,  together  with 
Jehoiakin  and  the  Jews  carried  to  Babylon,  and  that  he 
would  break  the  power  of  Nebuchadrezzar.  "Would 
that  your  prediction  might  be  realized,"  was  Jeremiah's 
rejoinder,  "  but  remember,  O  Judeans,  that  many 
prophets  in  the  past  have  uttered  similar  popular  proph- 
ecies, which,  alas,  have  proved  false.  The  sole  proof 
of  the  truth  of  a  prediction  is  not  whether  its  content  is 
pleasing,  but  whether  it  is  fulfilled. ' ' 
Acted  Stung  by  the  implications   contained  in  Jeremiah's 

prophecies  .        __  .    ,  „     ,  ,  i  •    i     i  • 

(28  :  10-17).  reply,  Hananiah  tore  off  the  yoke,  which  his  opponent 
was  wearing  about  his  neck  as  a  symbol  of  the  captivity 
which  he  predicted,  and  broke  it  into  pieces.  Then 
turning  to  the  people,  Hananiah  declared  :  "Even  thus 
will  Jehovah  within  two  years  break  that  rule  which 
Nebuchadrezzar  now  exercises  over  the  nations." 
Abashed  by  the  boldness  of  his  opponent,  Jeremiah 
departed  without  replying.  Soon,  however,  he  returned 
with  this  new  word  from  Jehovah  :  "True,  O  Hananiah. 
278 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  23  :  4 

you  have  broken  the  yoke  of  wood,  but  a  yoke  of  iron 
shall  take  its  place.  Even  so  the  nations  may  for  a 
moment  throw  off  the  comparatively  easy  rule  of  Baby- 
lon, but  the  penalty  of  their  rebellion  shall  be  a  much 
more  grievous  servitude.  Since  you,  O  prophet,  have 
sought  to  betray  this  people  by  a  false  message,  within  a 
year  shall  you  die  the  death  of  a  traitor. ' '  In  the  seventh 
month  of  the  same  year  the  divine  sentence  was  executed. 

IV 
CONDEMNATION    OF   JUDAH'S    FALSE    LEADERS 

I.    The  Base  Rulers  of  the  Present,  and  the  Projnised 
Messianic  King  of  the  Future  (23  ;  1-8  ;  cf  33  :  14-26) 

An  unenviable  fate  awaits  you,  O  rulers  of  Judah,  for,  Guilt  and 

1       r  r  •  ,   r  ,,  1-  1        •  r     -I  i     Punishmcnt 

mstead  of  faithfully  guardmg  the  mterests  of  the  people  of  kings  and 
entrusted  to  your  charge,  you  have  preyed  upon  them.  (23  :  \,  2). 
Their  present  disorganized  condition  is  due  to  your  in- 
competency and  culpable  misrule.     Jehovah  will  hold 
you  responsible  for  all  these  heinous  wrongs  which  you 
have  perpetrated. 

The  same  God  of  justice  declares  that  he  will  gather  Ultimate 

/■  •  1   /•  i  1  •  -1     -.  1  1  restoration 

the  faithful  ones  among  his  exiled  people,  and  restore  of  the  faith- 
them  to  their  land.     There  they  shall  again  grow  to  be  a  appointment 
great  nation.      Over  them  he  will  place  rulers,  who  ^vill  (^J^^^'.g^'^'f^ 
considerately  and  wisely  guide  them,  so  that  they  shall  33  '•  14-26). 
279 


Jeremiah  23  ;  4  Messages  of  the 

never  again  experience  the  terrors  of  invasion  or  the 
pangs  of  famine.  In  the  coming  years,  when  Jehovah' s 
purpose  is  fully  realized,  he  will  cause  to  arise  from  the 
princely  house  of  David — which  now,  alas  !  is  so  degen- 
erate— a  king  who  shall  have  all  the  vigor  of  the  original 
stock.  In  striking  contrast  to  the  character  of  the  corrupt 
leaders  who  are  now  wrecking  Judah,  shall  be  that  of 
the  righteous  ruler  whom  Jehovah  will  place  over  his 
people.  His  reign  shall  be  marked  by  impartial  justice 
and  prudent  action.  Success  shall  crown  all  his  efforts. 
Under  his  benign  rule  Israel  and  Judah,  as  of  old,  shall 
be  united,  and  shall  enjoy  uninterrupted  peace  and 
prosperity.  His  name  "Jehovah  is  our  righteousness" 
shall  be  a  pledge  that  Jehovah,  who  alone  is  able,  has 
vindicated  the  righteousness  of  his  people  before  the 
world.  ^  For  the  day  is  coming  when  the  deliverance 
from  Egypt  shall  be  completely  eclipsed  by  the  exodus 
from  the  lands  of  the  captivity. 

2.   False  Prophets  and  False  Prophecies  (23  :  9-40) 
Corruption       When  I  meditate  upon   the   ideal   of  righteousness 
prophets  and  which  Jehovah  has  revealed  to  me,  and  upon  the  failure 

its  eflFects  .     ,  .  ,  ,,         .       ^  .        , 

(23 : 9-15).    of  this  people  to  realize  it,  I  am  completely  overcome. 
Prophet  and  priest  have  profaned  their  high  calling. 

1  Note  that  in  the  parallel  passage  33  :  16  the  designation  "Jehovah  is 
our  righteousness  "  is  applied  to  Jerusalem. 
280 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  23  :  28 

The  prophets  of  Jerusalem  are  even  worse  than  those  of 
Samaria  who  prophesied  in  the  name  of  Baal  ;  for,  while 
they  pretend  to  be  Jehovah' s  representatives,  they  do  not 
hesitate  to  commit  gross  deeds  of  immorality.  Instead 
of  turning  the  people  from  their  sins,  they  confirm  them 
in  their  evil  course  by  word  and  by  example.  The 
crimes  of  the  men  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  were  not 
more  hateful  in  the  sight  of  Jehovah.  Wretched  in- 
deed shall  be  the  fate  of  these  base  prophets  when 
Jehovah's  certain  judgment  overtakes  them. 

.Heed  not  their  words,  for,  having  no  message  from  Warnings 
Jehovah,    they  speak   only  what   conserves   their   own  fSe"^ 
selfish  interests.     They  are  constantly  predicting  deliv-^J"?  16*22). 
erance  from  the  attacks  of  the  Babylonians,  and  en- 
couraging   those    who     reject    Jehovah's     commands. 
Being   hypocritical   deceivers,    they   insinuate   that   all 
prophets  are  base  like  themselves.     They  have  aroused 
Jehovah's   hot   indignation   by  their  faithlessness   and 
treachery. 

They  deceive  men,  but  not  the  omniscient  Ruler  of  Jehovah 

penetrates 

the  universe.     He  sees  how  they  beguile  the  people  by  their  de- 
claiming  to  have  had  prophetic  dreams.     The  true  mes-  "j^/^sig). 
sage  from  Jehovah,  instead  of  easing  the  conscience, 
ever  sets  before  the  people  a  higher  ideal  of  living, 
thereby  laying  bare,   by  contrast,  their  own  imperfec- 

281 


Jeremiah  23  :  29  Messages  of  the 

tions.     It  is  a  flame  which  burns  out  the  dross,  rather 
than  a  veil  which  covers  up  their  guilt. 
Command         Tehovah  disowns  and  denounces  those  impostors  who,' 

not  to  •'  .  -  ,  .  . 

use  the  without  any  communication  from  him,  take  their  cue 
exp?es^sions,  from  cach  Other.  By  employing  the  familiar  terminology 
by'^mbuse  of  the  prophcts,  they  deceive  the  masses,  and  work  in- 
(23  :  30-40).  calculable  harm  to  their  nation.  They  have  dragged 
the  prophetic  expression,  "the  burden  of  Jehovah,"  in 
the  mire  until  it  is  unfit  for  use.  If  the  people  sincerely 
inquire,  "What  is  the  burden  of  Jehovah?"  let  them 
know  that  they  themselves  are  a  burden  which  God  will 
no  longer  bear.  A  grievous  judgment  shall  descend 
upon  the  prophet  or  priest  who  shall  henceforth  presume 
to  preface  his  predictions  by  the  old  formula,  "the 
burden  of  Jehovah."  The  simple  message  in  itself  is 
enough  to  commend  it.  In  inquiring  concerning  the 
divine  will,  use  some  other  simpler  expression,  like 
' '  What  has  the  Lord  answered  ? "  or,  "  What  has  he 
said  ? ' '  but  woe  to  the  individual  or  people  who  em- 
ploys the  worn-out,  perverted  term ! 


282 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  21  :  10 


SERMONS   AND    EVENTS   CONNECTED   WITH    THE 
FINAL   SIEGE   OF   JERUSALEM 

I.  Jeremiah's  Message  of  Warning  to  Zedekiah 
(21  :  i-io) 

During  the  earlier  days  of  the  final  siege  of  Jerusalem,  The  occa- 
king  Zedekiah  sent  two  of  the  nobles,  Pashhur,  the  son  (21 :  i,  2). 
of  Malchiah,  and  Zephaniah,  the  priest,  to  Jeremiah  to 
inquire   whether  Jehovah   would   deliver   the   Judeans 
from  Nebuchadrezzar,  who  was  attacking  them. 

To  the  king' s  question  Jeremiah  replied  in  the  name  Jeremiah's 
of  Jehovah  :   "In  vain  do  you  take  up  your  weapons  in  mercy,  no  ^ 
order  to  defend  yourself  from  the  attack  of  the  Baby-  esTape " 
lonians.     Prompted  by  righteous  indignation,  the  Al-  ^^^  •  3'^°)- 
mighty  himself  will   fight  against  you  with   his  dread 
weapons  of  pestilence  and  famine.     The  king  and  those 
who  survive  he  will  deliver  into  the  power  of  Nebuchad- 
rezzar to  be  slain.     The  only  way  in  which  you  can  save 
your  lives  is  by  surrender  to  the  foe  before  the   end 
comes  ;  for  Jehovah  has  determined  to  show   you   no 
mercy,  but,  instead,  to  hand  you  over  to  these,  his  agents 
of  punishment." 

283 


Jeremiah  34 :  i 


Messages  of  the 


Future  of 
Zedekiah 
and  of  his 
people 
(34  :  1-7)- 


The  fact 
(34  : 8-11). 


The  divine 
sentence 
upon  the 
shameless 
princes 
(34  :  12-22). 


2.  A  Secotid  Message  of  Warning  (34  :  1-7) 

A  little  later,  while  Nebuchadrezzar,  with  his  armies, 
was  laying  siege  to  Jerusalem  and  the  few  cities  of 
Judah  which  still  held  out  against  him,  Jeremiah  re- 
iterated the  divine  declaration  that  for  the  Judeans  there 
was  no  possibility  of  escape.  Respecting  Zedekiah,  he 
added  :  "You  shall  go  as  a  captive  to  Babylon,  but 
your  life  shall  be  spared,  and  you  shall  die  and  be 
peacefully  buried. ' ' 

3.  Condemnation  of  the  Perfidy  Shown  by  the  fudeans  in 
the  Treatment  of  their  Slaves  (34  :  8-22) 

In  a  moment  of  contrition,  aroused  by  the  imminent 
danger  which  threatened  from  the  swords  of  the  besieg- 
ing Babylonians,  Zedekiah  and  his  nobles  made  a 
solemn  agreement  before  Jehovah  that  they  would  ob- 
serve a  neglected  law,  and  set  at  liberty  the  Hebrew 
slaves  in  their  possession.  At  first  they  carried  out  their 
obligations  ;  but  later,  when  the  danger  was  temporarily 
averted  through  the  withdrawal  of  the  besiegers,  they 
broke  their  sacred  promises,  and  forced  their  former 
slaves  into  the  old  state  of  illegal  bondage. 

When  these  facts  were  known,  Jeremiah  was  inspired 
to  declare  in  the  name  of  Jehovah  :  ' '  One  of  the  ele- 
ments in  the  holy  covenant  entered  into  by  your  fore- 
fathers, when  I  delivered  themfromtheslavery  of  Egypt, 
284 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  37  :  3 

was  that  in  the  seventh  year  they  would  set  free  every 
Hebrew  slave  held  by  them.  That  agreement  they 
failed  to  keep.  Of  your  own  free  will  you  recognized 
the  obligation,  and  made  a  solemn  covenant  with  me,  in 
fulfilment  of  which  you  for  a  brief  period  liberated  your 
slaves.  But,  since  you  have  not  permanently  set  your 
brothers  free,  you  shall  yourselves  be  free  to  experience 
the  bitter  woes  of  war  and  captivity.  Those  grandees 
of  Jerusalem  and  the  common  people,  who  have  shame- 
lessly broken  that  holy  covenant  with  me,  which  they 
symbolized  by  passing  between  the  severed  parts  of  a 
calf  sacrificed  for  the  purpose,  shall  soon  fall  before 
their  bloodthirsty  foes,  and  their  bodies  shall  lie  un- 
buried  where  they  fall.  Before  many  days  the  Baby- 
lonian army  shall  return  to  complete  the  conquest  and 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  Judah.  King  and  princes 
shall  be  taken  captive,  and  this  land  of  your  nativity 
shall  be  left  desolate  and  uninhabited." 

4.  Faithful  Prophesying  in  the  Face  of  Persecution  and 
Death  {-^7  ;  38  ;  39  :  15-18) 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  weak,  godless  reign  of  Conquest  of 
Zedekiah,  at  the  time  when  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Babyio- 
the  Babylonians  was  temporarily  relieved  by  the    ap-  inevitable 
proach  of  an  Egyptian  army  under  Hophra,  the  Judean  ^^^  '  ^'^°^' 
king  sent  two  officers  to  Jeremiah  to  inquire  what  Jeho- 
285 


Jeremiah  37  :  6  Messages  of  the 

vah  had  in  store  for  them.  The  prophet  replied  :  "The 
Egyptians  will  secure  for  you  only  momentary  deliver- 
ance. Soon  they  will  retire,  and  the  Babylonians  will 
advance  to  conquer  and  destroy  your  city.  Deceive  not 
yourselves  with  false  hopes.  Even  though  you  should 
defeat  these  foreign  foes,  they  will  nevertheless  accom- 
plish your  ultimate  destruction,  because  Jehovah  has 
decreed  it." 
Arrest  and       During  the  same  intermission  of  the  siege,  Jeremiah 

confinement  °  . 

of  Jeremiah  set  out  for  his  native  town  of  Anathoth  to  take  possession 
■^^ '  "  ^   '  of  some  property  which  he  had  recently  inherited.     At 
the  eastern  gate  of  the  city  an  official  on  guard  arrested 
him  on  the  charge  of  deserting   to   the  Babylonians. 
Disregarding  Jeremiah' s  denials,  the  officer  brought  him 
before  the  rulers  of  the  city.     They  improved  the  oppor- 
tunity to  be  revenged  upon  the  plain-spoken  prophet. 
After  scourging  him,  they  shut  him  up  in  the  house  of 
Jonathan  the  scribe,  which  had  been  converted  into  a 
temporary  prison.     There  he  remained  for  many  days. 
His  partial       At  last,  when  the  siege  was  renewed,  Zedekiah  in- 
Zedeklah^     quired  of  the  prophet,  who  had  been  conducted  into  his 
(37  •  17-21)-  pj-esence,  whether  there  was  any  message  from  Jehovah. 
Unhesitatingly  Jeremiah  repeated  his   former  declara- 
tion :  "You  shall  surely  be  conquered  by  Nebuchad- 
rezzar."     Improving  the  opportunity,  the  aged  patriot 
then   demanded   why   it  was   that   he   had   been    im- 
286 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  38  :  u 

prisoned,  while  the  deceitful  prophets,  who  had  be- 
trayed the  nation  into  its  present  plight,  were  allowed 
to  go  free.  At  Jeremiah's  earnest  solicitations,  Zede- 
kiah  committed  him  to  a  more  congenial  place  of  con- 
finement in  the  guard-house,  and,  while  the  supply 
lasted,  gave  him  a  daily  allowance  of  bread. 

During  his  period  of  confinement,  Jeremiah  did  not  Thrown  as 
cease  to  declare  that  to  remain  in  Jerusalem  meant  aaweii^tVdie 
violent  death,  and  that  the  only  way  to  save  one' s  life  ^^^ "  ^'^^' 
was  to  surrender  to  the  Babylonian,  since  the  ultimate 
fall  of  the  city  was  inevitable. 

Hearing  of  his  advice,  certain  of  the  nobles,  who 
were  most  hostile  to  him,  demanded  Jeremiah' s  death, 
urging  that  he  was  a  traitor,  and  that  his  predictions 
weakened  the  courage  of  the  soldiers  and  of  the  people. 
Zedekiah,  confessing  that  he  was  powerless  to  oppose  his 
imperious  nobles,  handed  over  his  prisoner  to  them. 
They  seized  Jeremiah,  and,  without  the  semblance  of  a 
trial,  let  him  down  into  a  dry  well  in  the  court  of  the 
guard-house.     There  he  was  left  in  the  mire  to  die. 

When  a  certain  Ethiopian  eunuch  by  the  name  of  Rescued  at 
Ebed-melech  learned  what  had  been  done  to  Jeremiah,  tioVof  an*' 
he  informed  the  king  concerning  the  danger  from  starva-  eunuch*" 
tion  which   threatened  the  intrepid   prophet     At   the  ^^^  *  ^*^3^* 
command   of  Zedekiah,  the   Ethiopian,   assisted   by  a 
small  detachment  of  men,  carefully  drew  up  Jeremiah 
287 


Jeremiah  39  :  15 


Messages  of  the 


Message  of 
assurance 
for  Ebed- 
melech 
(39  :  15-18). 


Jeremiah's 
final  inter- 
view with 
Zedekiah 
(38  :  14-28). 


from  the  well.  Until  the  fall  of  the  city,  the  prophet  re- 
mained in  the  court  of  the  guard-house. 

While  there  he  received  a  divine  message  for  his 
brave  deliverer,  Ebed-melech,  to  the  effect  that,  although 
the  ruin  of  the  city  was  imminent,  he  would  be  deliv- 
ered from  the  foes  whom  he  feared.  Since  he  had 
proved  true  to  Jehovah  in  serving  his  prophet,  his  own 
life  would  be  preserved  amidst  the  common  dangers. 

In  his  perplexity  Zedekiah  again  summoned  Jeremiah 
into  his  presence.  After  the  prophet  had  been  assured 
that  no  harm  would  be  done  to  him,  whatever  should  be 
the  nature  of  his  reply,  he  declared  that  the  one  way  in 
which  the  king  could  save  his  city  and  his  own  life  was 
by  surrendering  to  the  Babylonians.  Although  recog- 
nizing the  truth  of  Jeremiah' s  advice,  the  weak,  selfish 
Zedekiah  hesitated  to  accept  it  because,  as  he  confessed, 
he  feared  the  scorn  of  those  of  his  subjects  who  had 
already  deserted  to  the  camp  of  Nebuchadrezzar.  As- 
suring him  that  these  fears  were  groundless,  Jeremiah 
exhorted  him  to  deliver  himself  and  his  wives  and  inno- 
cent children  from  the  horrible  calamity  which  other- 
wise awaited  them.  Zedekiah,  however,  was  hope- 
lessly dominated  by  his  defiant  princes.  Instead  of 
acting  in  accordance  with  Jeremiah' s  wise  counsel,  he 
made  the  prophet  promise  not  to  reveal  to  the  nobles 
the  nature  of  their  interview.  This  promise  Jeremiah 
288 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  32  :  22 

redeemed,   and  remained  under  the  protection  of  the 
king  until  the  final  capture  of  Jerusalem. 


VI 

MESSAGES    OF   CONSOLATION 

I.  An  Earnest  of  Ultimate  Restoration  (32) 
During  the  final  siege  of  Jerusalem,  while  Jeremiah  Symbolic 
was  confined  in  the  court  of  the  guard-house,  his  cousin  land 
visited  him,  with  the  request  that  he  purchase  a  certain 
part  of  the  family  estate  at  Anathoth.      Recognizing  in 
this  demand  a  divinely  given  opportunity  for  impressing 
his  prophetic   message    in   the  presence  of  many  wit- 
nesses, he  caused  a  formal  bill  of  transfer  to  be  drawn 
up,  and  paid  the  stipulated  sum,  although  the  land  was 
already  in  the  possession  of  the  besieging  Babylonians. 
Then  he  gave  command  to  Baruch  to  store  away  the 
deed   where   it   would   be   preserved    for   many   years. 
"For,"   as  he  added,    "Jehovah  has  revealed  to  me 
that  land  in  Judah  shall  again  possess  a  marketable 
value. ' ' 

After  the  transaction  had  been  completed,  Jeremiah  ^^^T^'^  '°*" 
prayed  this  prayer  :   "O  Creator  and  Ruler  of  the  uni- assurance 
verse,  merciful  and  just,  all-wise  and  all-powerful,  faith-       '  ^   ^^  ' 
fully  didst  thou  lead  thy  people  in  the  past     They,  alas ! 
289 


Jeremiah  32  :  23  Messages  of  the 

sinned  so  grievously  against  thee  that  their  present  woes 
are  but  their  just  deserts.  What,  therefore,  O  Lord,  is 
the  full  significance  of  thy  command  to  me  to  buy  this 
land  which  already  is  in  the  hands  of  relentless  foes  ?" 

Then  Jehovah  strengthened  Jeremiah's  wavering 
faith,  declaring  :  "Do  you  think,  O  prophet,  that  there 
is  anything  too  difficult  for  me,  the  supreme  ruler  of 
mankind,  to  accomplish  ?  True,  I  will  give  the  city  over 
to  the  Babylonians,  and  they  shall  completely  destroy  it 
as  a  just  punishment  for  the  apostasy  and  persistent 
idolatry  of  its  inhabitants.  I  will  not,  however,  forget 
my  people,  but  will  gather  them  from  the  lands  of 
their  captivity,  and  cause  them  peaceably  to  inhabit 
those  very  cities  which  are  now  being  laid  desolate. 
More  than  that,  they  shall  then  unite  in  giving  me  their 
sincere  and  reverential  worship.  Then  also  will  I  enter 
into  a  solemn  covenant  with  them,  promising  to  estab- 
lish them  permanently  in  the  land,  and  to  bestow  upon 
them  all  the  blessings  which  my  loving  heart  suggests. 
Then,  throughout  all  the  territory  of  Judah,  men  shall 
again  buy  and  sell  the  land  now  wasted  by  Babylonian 
armies,  giving  written  contracts  even  as  you  have  just 
done." 


290 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  33  :  13 

2.   The  Bright  Future  beyond  the  Dark  Presejtt 
(33  '  1-13) 
On  another  occasion,  while  Jeremiah  was  still  con-  Reiterated 

„         ,     .  ,  f.     ,  ,  ,  ,  .        ,        assurances 

fined  m  the  court  of  the  guard-house,  he  received  a  ofrestoration 
second  message  of  promise  from  Jehovah  :  "  Useless  are  '  ^"^^ 
the  frantic  efforts  of  the  men  of  Jerusalem  to  defend 
their  tottering  capital.  Their  bodies  shall  form  a 
ghastly  rampart  about  the  doomed  city.  For  a  time  I 
will  give  it  up  to  judgment,  but  when  war  has  done  its 
purifying  work  I  will  rebuild  and  repeople  it,  and  reveal 
to  its  inhabitants  ideals  of  peace  and  righteousness  un- 
dreamed of  before.  I  will  gather  the  scattered  captives 
of  Judah  and  Israel,  and  will  establish  them  on  their 
native  soil,  as  in  the  days  of  the  united  kingdom.  I  will 
pardon  the  sin  of  the  past,  and  remove  its  evil  effects 
from  their  character.  Then  will  my  name  be  honored 
among  all  people,  because  they  shall  see  the  glorious 
restoration  of  this  city  and  land  which  I  shall  have  ac- 
complished. Instead  of  the  present  wails  of  despair, 
songs  of  thanksgiving  shall  rise  to  me  from  the  lips  of 
the  happy,  contented  people  whom  I  shall  bring  back 
to  inhabit  Jerusalem  and  the  now  desolate  to^vns  of 
Judah." 


291 


Jeremiah  30 :  i  Messages  of  the 

3.  Glories  of  the  Restoration  Contrasted  with  the  Present 
Humiliation  {^o  :  1  to  31  -.28) 

Prophecies  During  the  closing  years  of  Jeremiah's  activity,  after 
in  the  future  Jerusalem  had  been  captured  and  destroyed,  the  divine 
command  came  to  him  to  collect  his  various  prophecies 
respecting  the  future  of  his  nation  and  preserve  them  in 
written  form  ;  for  it  was  Jehovah' s  unchangeable  purpose 
yet  to  bring  back  his  exiled  people  to  the  land  of  their 
fathers. 
Present  Thesc  are  the  extracts  from  his  sermons  concerning 

terror  to  be  ° 

succeeded     Israel  and  Judah,  which  the  prophet  preserved  :   "True, 
peace  terror  now  chills  every  heart     Fear  blanches  the  faces 

'  '*'"^"  of  strong  men.  Never  has  the  Jewish  race  experienced 
such  calamities  as  at  the  present  ;  but  it  shall  not  last 
forever.  Jehovah  will  break  the  galling  yoke  of  the 
conqueror,  and  deliver  his  people  from  their  painful 
servitude.  In  the  coming  days,  again  united  under  a 
king  of  the  royal  house  of  David,  they  shall  serve 
Jehovah.  Fear  not,  therefore,  O  chosen  race,  called  to 
perform  a  service  for  your  God,  since  you  have  his 
assurance  that  he  will  destroy  the  nations  who  now  hold 
you  as  captives,  and  that  he  will  surely  preserve  you, 
after  completing  the  purifying  and  educating  process  to 
which  you  are  now  subjected. 

• '  Piteous  is  your  present  condition,  with  no  champion 
292 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  31:3 

to  plead  your  cause,  and  no  ally  to  help  you.     The  dis-  Present 

*  '  J  M.    *  -wounds  and 

asters,  however,  which  have  fallen  upon  you,  come  at  anguish, 
the  command  of  Jehovah  as  a  punishment  for  your  per-  ingandjoy 
sistence  in  sin.     The  tables  shall  soon  be  turned,  and    °  * " 
those  who  oppress  you  shall  themselves  feel  the  pains  of 
conquest  and  captivity,  while  you  shall  be  restored  to 
Canaan.     Out  of  its  ruins  another  Jerusalem  shall  rise 
which  shall  equal  the  ancient  city.     Songs  of  thanks- 
giving and  peals  of  laughter  shall  again  be  heard  within 
these  now  ruined  walls,  while  through  its  deserted  streets 
shall  surge  a  large  and  proud  populace.     The  Hebrews 
will  again  be  united  under  a  ruler  of  their  own  race. 
Being  chosen  by  Jehovah,  he  will  know  the  divine  will 
and  worthily  execute  it.     Then,  O  outcasts,  you  will  be 
again  in  the  old  sense  Jehovah' s  people. 

' '  In  that  same  glorious  day  you  will  at  last  appreciate  The  aim  of 

,  .       ■  r-  r     t  •  1      ,       th^  present 

the  true  significance  of  the  present  experiences  and  the  judgment 
principles  which  rule  God's  universe.     Jehovah's  judg- dersto^od'^" 
ment  falls  when  it  is  deserved.     Its  aim  is  to  discipline.  (30^23,  24). 
When  that  end  is  accomplished,  and  not  before,  will 
your  affliction  cease. 

"In  the  coming  years,  when  Jehovah's  gracious  pur- Restoration 
pose  shall  be  realized,  all  surviving  Israelites,  united,  shall  northern 
again  be  known  as  his  people.      From  the  earliest  days  (31^^  J'4). 
of  their  history,    his  love  toward  them  has  ever  been 
strong   and  constant     As  in   those   innocent   days   of 
293 


Jeremiah  31:4  Messages  of  the 

Israel's  youth,  he  will  again  give  her  cause  for  merri- 
ment.    On  the  long-deserted  hills  of  Samaria,  vineyards 
shall  be  planted.     From  hill  to  hill  the  watchmen  shall 
send   forth  the  cry,    'Let  us   go   down   to   worship  at 
Jehovah's  sanctuary  in  Jerusalem  !*     He  will  gather  his 
scattered  people  from  far  and  near.     No  physical  in- 
firmity shall  prevent  them  from  coming  at  his  call.     A 
sad  but  hopeful  throng  will  he  lead  back,  making  easy 
and  attractive  the  way  for  their  weary  feet ;  for  his  love 
for  his  people  is  like  that  of  a  father  for  a  child.      In 
this  universal   restoration,   the   northern    Israelites  will 
not  be  overlooked,  for  Jehovah  has  not  forgotten  that 
in  the  earlier  days  they  were  the  strongest  and   most 
prominent  of  the  Hebrew  race. 
The  restored      "Let  the  whole  world  know  that  he,  like  a  shepherd, 
Hebrew  ^      will  assemble  those  whom  he  has  scattered  so  widely, 
again  enjoy  Slaves  though  they  are,  he  will  secure  their  liberation. 
Sknty^"*^     Leaving  their  sorrows  behind,  they  shall  return  to  enjoy 
(31 :  10-14).  undisturbed  the  rich  products  of  Canaan  and  the  social 

and  religious  privileges  which  it  affords. 

Pardon  for        "  Jehovah  has  heard  the  bitter  cries  of  lamentation 

InVnor^thern  which  have  for  nearly  a  century  and  a  half  gone  up 

(l^^^ijfa^).  from  faithful  northern  Israelites  because  the  citizens  of 

their  once  powerful  nation  are  either  dead  or  scattered  to 

the   four   winds.     At  last  let  them  be  comforted  and 

refrain  from  weeping,  for  their  prayers  shall  be  answered 

294 


Earlier  Prophets  Jeremiah  31  :  28 

in  the  return  of  the  captives.  Through  all  the  long 
years,  while  they  have  felt  themselves  crushed  under  the 
ban  of  Jehovah' s  displeasure,  he  has  been  disciplining 
them.  Now  that  they  are  truly  repentant,  the  love  and 
compassion  which  go  out  toward  them  from  the  heart 
of  the  Eternal  will  find  expression  in  acts  of  restoration 
and  blessing.  The  way  is  open  for  you  to  return,  O 
exiles,  if  you  will.  Come  back,  wayward  people,  to 
your  cities.  Fear  no  more  dangers,  for  under  Jehovah' s 
strong  protecting  care  the  men  will  be  able  to  devote 
themselves  undisturbed  to  their  daily  tasks,  while  the 
women  will  suffice  to  guard  them  from  all  attacks. 

"When  Jehovah  has  restored  his  people  to  the  cities  of  Conditions 
Judah,  as  of  old,  they  shall  make  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem,  restoration 
the  site  of  the  temple  of  the  God  of  justice  and  holiness,  realized 
The  hearts  now  hungering  shall  be  satisfied  with  peace  ^^^ '  ^^'^  ^' 
and  plenty.     As  I  came  back  to  the  dread  present,  my 
prophetic   soul  was  enraptured  by  the  visions   of  the 
blessings  in  store  for  my  race.     With  them  came  the 
assurance  from  Jehovah  that,  as  he  up  to  the  present  had 
devoted  himself  to  destroying  and  uprooting  the  two 
Hebrew  kingdoms,  so  henceforth  he  would  restore  and 
guard  them." 


^S 


Jeremiah  31  :  29-34 

4.    The  New  Covenant  between  Jehovah  and  his 
People  (31  :  29-40) 

bifit^°o/the  ^^  ^^  ^^^  ^^^'  which  is  soon  to  dawn,  the  old  fallacy 
individual  that  men  are  morally  responsible  for  the  sins  of  their 
ancestors,  or  for  those  of  the  community,  will  be  dis- 
proved. No  longer  will  the  individual  be  able  to  avoid 
the  consequences  of  his  own  crimes,  but  each  shall  be 
rewarded  according  to  his  acts. 
«)^eSant  Jehovah  will  also  establish  a  new  covenant  with  his 

within  the  restored  people.  It  shall  not  be  an  external  compact 
(31 :  31-34).  between  himself  and  the  nation  collectively,  like  that 
which  was  established  when  he  led  the  Israelites  forth 
from  Egypt,  and  which  they  have  broken,  but  a  per- 
sonal covenant  between  himself  and  the  individual. 
Then  the  laws  which  formulate  Jehovah' s  demands,  to 
which  the  nations  solemnly  subscribe,  shall  be  written, 
not  upon  stones,  but  indelibly  impressed  upon  the  minds 
of  each  faithful  Israelite.  Thus  shall  the  close,  con- 
fidential relationship  between  Jehovah  and  his  people 
be  re-established.  Since  the  divine  law  will  be  im- 
pressed upon  the  mind  of  every  one,  it  shall  no  longer 
be  necessary  to  impart  it  by  public  and  private  instruc- 
tion. All,  the  humblest  as  well  as  the  noblest,  shall 
know  the  will  of  the  Lord,  and  shall  be  personally  con- 
scious of  having  received  his  full  forgiveness. 

•         - _  296 


APPENDIX 


APPENDIX 


BOOKS  OF  REFERENCE 

The  extant  literature  for  the  study  of  the  prophetic  books 
is  so  numerous  as  to  be  confusing.  The  works  which  follow 
are  mentioned  for  their  helpfulness  to  the  student  who  seeks 
to  obtain  a  mastery  of  prophetic  thought.  Technical  studies 
and  works  not  translated  into  English  are  omitted. 

For  the  history  of  the  two  centuries  spanned  by  the  contents 
of  this  volume  the  student  may  be  referred  to  Professor  C.  F. 
Kent's  "  A  History  of  the  Hebrew  People  :  The  Divided 
Kingdom,"  1897,  (Scribner,)  or  to  the  still  briefer  sketch 
by  Professor  C.  H.  Cornill  of  Konigsberg,  *'  History  of  the 
People  of  Israel,"  1898.  (Open  Court  Publishing  Co.)  A 
more  elaborate  work  is  Kittel's  "  History  of  the  Hebrews," 
Vol.  n,  1896.    (Williams  &  Norgate.) 

The  father  of  the  study  of  prophecy  to-day  was  Professor  W. 
Robertson  Smith,  whose  articles  on  the  prophetic  books  in  the 
"Encyclopedia  Britannica,"  and  whose  "  Prophets  of  Israel," 
(D.  Appleton  &  Co.),  second  edition,  1895,  are  almost  as 
valuable  as  ever.  For  brief  surveys  of  the  Minor  Prophets  in 
turn,  Farrar's  "  Minor  Prophets,"  1889,  (Revell,)  orCornill's 
"Prophets  of  Israel,"  1895,  (Open  Court  Publishing  Co.,) 
are  acceptable,  the  former  being  more  detailed  than  the  latter. 
Kirkpatrick's  "  Doctrine  of  the  Prophets, "  1892,  (Macmillan,) 
is  of  great  value  for  its  concise  presentation  of  the  character- 
istic teachings  of  each  prophet.  Without  derogation  to  any 
299 


Appendix 

of  these,  however,  it  may  be  said  that  the  two  volumes  by 
Professor  George  Adam  Smith,  entitled  "The  Book  of  the 
Twelve  Prophets,"  1896-98,  (Armstrong,  "The  Expositor's 
Bible,")  are  the  best  aid  to  the  interpretation  of  the  Minor 
Prophets  to  be  purchased  in  English.  One  may  also  mention 
the  very  valuable  analyses  in  Driver's  "  Introduction  to 
the  Literature  of  the  Old  Testament,"  sixth  edition,  1897. 
(Scribner.) 

For  the  study  of  Amos  there  are  two  excellent  commen- 
taries :  one  by  Professor  Driver,  "Joel  and  Amos,"  1897, 
(Macmillan,)  the  other  by  Professor  Mitchell,  "Amos:  An 
Essay  in  Exegesis."  For  Hosea  and  Micah  the  most  available 
commentaries  are  by  Professor  T.  K.  Cheyne  in  the  Cam- 
bridge Bible  series.  For  Nabum,  Habakkuk,  and  Zepha- 
niah  an  admirable  commentary  has  been  written  for  that  same 
series  by  Professor  A.  B.  Davidson.  Among  the  countless 
aids  for  the  study  of  Isaiah,  one  may  mention  the  clever 
sketch  by  Driver  in  the  Men  of  the  Bible  series,  entitled 
"Isaiah,  His  Life  and  Times,"  1888,  (Revell,)  the  commen- 
taries by  Professor  Skinner,  "Isaiah,  Chapters  1-39,"  1896, 
(Macmillan,)  and  by  Professor  Mitchell,  "Isaiah:  A  Study 
of  Chapters  I-I2,"  1897,  (Crowell,)  and  the  expository,  yet 
historical,  treatment  by  Professor  George  Adam  Smith,  "The 
Book  of  Isaiah,  I -39,"  1889.  For  Jeremiah,  Professor  Cheyne 
has  written  a  spirited  sketch,  in  the  Men  of  the  Bible  series, 
entitled  "Jeremiah,  His  Life  and  Times."  A  moderately 
good  commentary  is  that  by  Rev.  A.  W.  Streane  in  the  Cam- 
bridge Bible  series. 

300 


INDEX  OF  BIBLICAL  PASSAGES 


INDEX  OF  BIBLICAL  PASSAGES 


ISAIAH 

CHAPTERS  PAGES 

1  103-105 

2  to  4 88-91 

5  :  1-24 91-94 

5  :  25-30 95 

6 86-88 

7  to  8  :  18 98-103 

8  :  19  to  9  :  7 105-107 

9  :  8  to  10  :  4 94-95 

10  :  5  to  12  :  6 157-162 

13  to  14  :  3       See  page  84 

14  :  24-27 162 

14  :  28-32 146 

15  and  16 142-143 

17  ■•  I-" 97-98 

17  :  12-14 162-163 

j8 155 

19 144-145 

20 142 

21  :  i-io See  page  84 

21  :  11-17 141-142 

22  :  1-14 164 

22  :  15-25     ^56 

23 107-108 

24  to  27 See  page  84 

28  to  32     147-155 

33 166-167 

34  and  35 See  page  84 

36  to  37  :  8 165-166 

37  :  9-38  167-169 

38  and  39 139-141 

JEREMIAH 

1 205-206 

3  to  6 207-215 

7  to  8  :  3 236-239 

8  :  4  to  9  :  22 241-243 


CHAPTERS  PAGES 

10  :  17-25 243 

11  :  1-8 215-216 

11  :  9-17 234-235 

11  :  18  to  12  :  6 235-236 

12  :  7-17 272-273 

13  :  1-14 257-258 

13  •  15-27 271-272 

14  and  15 249-252 

16  to  17  :  13 253-255 

18 256-257 

19 258-259 

20 259-261 

21  :  1-10 283-284 

21  :  II  to  22  :  9 231-232 

22  :  10-12 231 

23  :  1-8 279-280 

23  :  9-40 280-282 

24 273-274 

25 244-245 

26 239-241 

27 276-277 

28 278-279 

29 274-276 

30  :  1  to  31  :  28 292-295 

31  :  29-40 296 

32  .' 289-290 

33  :  1-13 291 

33  :  14-26 279 

34  :  1-7 284 

34  :  8-22  284-285 

35 261-262 

36  :  1-26 245-248 

36  :  27-32 248 

37  to  39 285-289 

40  to  44 268-270 

45 245 

46  :  1-12 243-244 

46  :  13  to  49  :  39 244 

50  to  52   .  Late  exilic.    See  page  84 


303 


Index  of  Biblical  Passages 


CHAPTERS  PAGES 

HOSEA 

1  to  3 50-57 

4  and  5  :  14 57-61 

5  :  15  to  7 61-64 

8  to  10 64-70 

II  :  i-ii 70-72 

II  :  12  to  12 72-74 

13 74-75 

14 75-76 

AMOS 

1,2 29-33 

3. 4 33-36 

5 36-38 

6 39-40 

7:1-9 40-41 

8  to  9  :  6 41-43 

9  :  7-15 43-44 

MICAH 
I 115-118 

2  :  i-ii 118-120 


CHAPTERS 


PAGES 


2  :  12,  13 123 

3 120-122 

4  and  5 122-125 

6  :  1-8 126-127 

6  :  9  to  7  :  6 127-129 

7  :  7-20 129-130 

NAHUM 

i;2:2 177-173 

«  :  i»  3-13  179-181 

3 181-183 

HABAKKUK 

1  to  2   :  4 221-223 

2  :  5-20 223-224 

3 224-226 

ZEPHANIAH 

1  to  2  :  3 190-193 

2  :  4-15 193-194 

3  :  1-13 195-196 

3  :  14-20 196-197 


304 


Zbc  f)i3tovtcal  Series 

FOR  BIBLE  STUDENTS 
EDITED   BY 

Professor  Charles    F.  Kent,  Ph.D.,  of  Brown  Univer- 

sity,  and  Professor  Frank  K.  Sanders,  Ph.D., 

of  Yale  University. 


IN  response  to  a  widespread  demand  for  non-technical 
yet  scholarly  and  reliable  guides  to  the  study  of  the 
history,  literature,  and  teaching  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments,  and  of  the  contemporary  history  and  litera- 
ture, this  series  aims  to  present  in  concise  and  attractive 
form  the  results  of  investigation  and  exploration  in  these 
broad  fields.  Based  upon  thoroughly  critical  scholar- 
ship, it  will  emphasize  assured  and  positive  rather  than 
transitional  positions.  The  series  as  a  whole  is  intended 
to  present  a  complete  and  connected  picture  of  the  social, 
political,  and  religious  life  of  the  men  and  peoples  who 
figure  most  prominently  in  the  biblical  records. 

Each  volume  will  be  complete  in  itself,  treating  com- 
prehensively a  given  subject  or  period.  It  will  also  refer 
freely  to  the  biblical  and  monumental  sources,  and  to  the 
standard  authorities.  Convenience  of  size,  clearness  of 
presentation,  and  helpfulness  to  the  student,  will  make 
the  series  particularly  well  adapted  for  (i)  practical  text- 
books for  college,  seminary,  and  university  classes  ;  (2) 
hand-books  for  the  use  of  Bible  classes,  clubs,  and 
guilds  ;  (3)  guides  for  individual  study  ;  and  (4)  books 
for  general  reference. 


CHARLES   SCRIBNER'S   SONS 
Publishers        -       -       -       -       -       -        New  York 


t;be  t)i6torical  Series 

FOR   BIBLE  STUDENTS 


HISTORY  OF  THE  HEBREW  PEOPLE 
I.    Ube  'C^nite^  Tftingbom.    Fifth  edition. 
II.    Ubc  ^>irt^e^  Iking&om.    Fifth  edition. 

Charles  F.  Kent,  Ph.D.,  Professor  of  Biblical  Literature  and. 
History,  Brown  University. 

HISTORY   OF   THE  JEWISH   PEOPLE 

III.  Ube  JBabislonian,  Persian,  an^  (Breeh  fJerfofes. 

Charles  F.  Kent,  Ph.D.,  Professor  of  Biblical  Literature  and 
History,  Brown  University. 

IV.  Ubc  ^accabean  an^  "IRoman  periob  (including  New  Testament 

Times). 
James  S.  Riggs,  D.D.,  Professor  of  Biblical  Criticism,  Auburn 
Theological  Seminary. 

CONTEMPORARY  OLD  TESTAMENT   HISTORY 

V.   Ibistoris  of  the  Egiepttana. 

James  H.  Breasted,  Ph.D.,  Assistant  Professor  of  Semitic  Lan- 
guages and  Egyptology,  the  University  of  Chicago. 
VI.    Ibistoris  of  tbe  JBabsIoniana  an&  Bss^riane. 

George  S.  Goodspeed,  Ph.D.,  Professor  of  Ancient  History,  the 
University  of  Chicago. 

NEW  TESTAMENT  HISTORIES 

VII.   Ube  Xifc  Of  5esua. 

Rush  Rhees,  Professor  of  New  Testament  Interpretation,  New- 
ton Theological  Seminary. 

VIII.    Ube  Hpostolic  Hge. 

George  T.  Purves,  Ph.D.,  D.D.,  Professor  of  New  Testament 
Literature  and  Exegesis,  Princeton  Theological  Seminary. 

OUTLINES  FOR  THE  STUDY  OF  BIBLICAL  HISTORY  AND 
LITERATURE 
IX.    jFrom  Earliest  Ulmes  to  tbe  Captivitie. 
X.    iprom  tbe  firile  to  200  H.  ®. 

Frank  K.  Sanders,  Ph.D.,  Professor  of  Biblical  Literature,  Yale 
University. 


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